Now, however, Kim, who took office in February 1998, has not opposed the Clinton administration's efforts to negotiate with the North Korean regime and has sought to open a serious dialogue with the North.
``I've been impressed with the maturity of the current South Korean government in allowing the US freedom in dealing with North Korea,'' said James Laney, who served as the American ambassador to South Korea from 1993 until 1997.
Other analysts suspect that South Korea is still hedging its bets.
``I think the South Koreans are trying to use this as a lever with the US, positioning themselves on missile talks with the North,'' said George Friedman of Stratfor, a private research company in Austin, Texas, that has issued reports on the South Korean missile program. ``Their missile program has many purposes, both to position themselves in the region, in relation to North Korea, and in relation to the United States.''
RSS