Democracy and the U.S.-ROK Relationship

Alexander Vershbow
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea

Remarks to the Hannara Forum of the GNP
Sejong Hall, Sejong Cultural Center, Seoul

August 28, 2007

Thank you for your kind welcome, Representative Lee kang-too.  I always enjoy meeting and exchanging views with political activists and legislators.  This is also a very good time to do so.  You’ve had an exciting month with your primaries.  It’s no wonder so many of you look tired.

I want to congratulate the Hannara Dang for the very successful primaries you have just concluded.  Of course, Mayor Lee Myung-bak deserves congratulations for his nomination as the GNP standard bearer in the December presidential election.  I think that Chairperson Park Geun-hye is also a winner.  She showed grace and strength throughout.

I would like to extend my compliments especially on the way the primary was organized.  You held a number of debates that focused on the issues and policies, while at the same time providing a thorough examination of each of the candidates.  The debates provided Korean voters a wealth of information to inform their choice.  That freedom of choice is, of course, a cornerstone of any successful democracy.  Moreover, your weighted voting system is a unique development that shows Korea’s drive to continuously improve its democratic system.

I also think that Korea’s political system is a big winner too, because your party’s nomination process was transparent, fair, and accepted by all members of the party.  Through this primary, you have elevated and upgraded the level of Korean politics.  We wish the liberal candidates similar success as they prepare for their primary.

Today is an important day in U.S. political history.  On August 28, 1963, 44 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.   Dr. King’s speech was about the need for the United States to fulfill a “promissory note” that in our Constitution guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for American people of all colors.  Dr. King emphasized the equality of all people and the necessity for unity.  While America still has far to go to achieve Dr. King’s dream, we have made progress over the years.

For many foreign observers such as myself, your primaries were an opportunity to reflect on the impressive achievements of Korean democracy since the day Dr. King delivered his historic speech in Washington, D.C.  With democracy have come truly awe-inspiring achievements made by Koreans in technology, industry and education.  Korea now has a prosperous, well-educated, and well-informed electorate participating in a transparent and fair election.  For that achievement, I extend my most enthusiastic congratulations.

I have now been in Korea as Ambassador for almost two years.  In that time I have observed strong democratic institutions.  The separation of executive, legislative, and judicial powers in Korea is a well-established and respected doctrine.  The National Assembly is clearly no mere rubberstamping institution, consigned to simply endorsing the fiat of the President.  It is a powerful and independent lawmaking institution, one that oversees the work of the government and controls the budget.

I have seen many heated debates in the National Assembly, with sometimes even a punch or two thrown into the mix.  Your National Assembly makes our Congress look quite tame by comparison.  The Korean judiciary is also quite independent.  I know this because all citizens in Korea, even the highest-level officials, have to answer to the courts.  I know that even critics would agree that the Korean judiciary is now more independent than it has ever been.  I would also note that judicial independence and the separation of powers are also ongoing issues in the United States, which is why we sometimes appoint special prosecutors and independent counsels to investigate possible misconduct by government agencies or officials.

I have also come to admire Korea’s very active NGO community, which sustains a civil society that is highly involved and very influential.  I must say the U.S. Embassy is often on the receiving end of these activities.  Almost every day, there is a demonstration in front the Embassy – over the Korea-U.S. FTA, Iraq or USFK’s move to Pyongtaek.  Sometimes we even see demonstrations by people voicing support for the Alliance, which is nice.

And then there is your press.  Your reporters are among the world’s most persistent and fearless journalists.  I have had a number of encounters with them, and in general, I have found them to be balanced, responsible and fair – even after an evening of noraebang and poktanju.  All of this makes Korea one of the more active and robust democracies in the world.

So far I have spoken mostly of similarities between our political systems, though
I have been asked to focus on the differences between them.  Certainly, differences do exist between the two systems.  For example, the United States has two houses in its legislature while Korea has one.  We have an established two-party system, whereas Korea has seen a number of political parties over the past ten years.  Stylistically, Korea operates more on consensus, while America’s founding fathers designed the Constitution to harness the energy of competing factions.

Yet, for all of these differences, our two democracies share a common achievement that I’d like to focus on today: they both ensure that government is accountable to the public.  This sometimes makes life more complicated, especially for those of us in the diplomatic business, but in the end this produces better policy.

In my time as Ambassador here, I have seen the Korean government’s policies face intense scrutiny from the media, various NGOs, the legislature, and through them the general public.  It is encouraging, then, to see how much progress our bilateral relationship has made on issues as diverse as our evolving security alliance, the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, and the Visa Waiver Program.  I believe that the democratic process has brought about the best policy for each issue.  Let me go into a little more detail about each of these achievements.

U.S.-ROK Alliance

The U.S.-ROK security alliance has been and will continue to be the foundation of the bilateral relationship.  This foundation rests on a tradition of mutual respect and shared values.  The changes we have agreed to within the past few years will only strengthen our alliance.

U.S. and Korean officials continue to meet daily to iron out the details for the transition of wartime operational control, or OPCON, to the ROK by 2012.   I am certain that the ongoing planning will be a topic of discussion during this fall’s Security Consultative Meeting between Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo.

The decision to transfer OPCON was the subject of considerable public debate.  In the end, I think both sides agreed that this is a natural, evolutionary step that will strengthen our alliance by making it a more balanced partnership, without diminishing our combined ability to deter or defeat any North Korean aggression.  At the same time, taking into account the importance of public consensus for such a momentous change, we agreed on a five-year transition period that will ensure that our militaries are properly equipped and trained when the ROK assumes OPCON in 2012, leaving no doubt that the new command arrangements will be just as reliable and effective as the current system.

Another major change in our alliance that is underway is the realignment of U.S. forces in Korea.  By this, I refer to the recent progress on the Yongsan Relocation and Land Partnership Plans, which will result in the consolidation of U.S. forces at two main hubs south of Seoul (Pyongtaek-Osan and Daegu-Busan).  We now expect to hold an official groundbreaking ceremony in Pyeongtaek this coming fall.  Indeed, construction has already begun.

Let me emphasize one point: the realignment of U.S. military forces will strengthen the alliance.  The new Pyeongtaek hub will provide upgrades in facilities, equipment and training.  The facility improvements will allow U.S. forces to stabilize military tours in Korea, thereby enhancing readiness and adding continuity to the force.  So while the footprint of U.S. forces in Korea will be reduced, there will be no sacrifice in capabilities as a result of this consolidation.  The combined military power of U.S. and ROK forces will continue to be a lethal deterrent.

In addition, billions of won in valuable real estate will be made available to the people of Seoul and other areas where we are closing down bases and camps.  I note that the National Assembly has passed legislation that will turn the Yongsan Garrison into a national park.  A stronger, more versatile deterrent force and a national park that will be the envy of metropolises around the world: these are signs that we are upgrading, not weakening, our alliance.

The United States and the ROK have discussed these changes to the alliance system in full view of the public.  This transparency, of course, has enabled greater scrutiny by the local press and the NGO community of the Yongsan relocation project, and by the National Assembly over the OPCON transition.  Yet this oversight has also proven crucial in developing agreements that serve the interests of both sides.  Though the process took a little more time than we had originally planned for, the open discussion of key issues by all concerned parties has made the final agreement that much more durable.

Korean Hostages

Before I go any further, I would like to comment on an issue that is putting our alliance to the test:  the Korean citizens held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan.  Let me extend my most sincere condolences to the families of the hostages, and especially of those who have lost their lives.  We continue to do everything we can to assist the ROK’s efforts to free the hostages.  Since the day of their capture, we’ve shared all of our intelligence about the hostages and their captors with our Korean allies, and provided logistical and other support to Korean representatives on the ground in Kabul.  Korea and the United States stand together – as allies – in demanding the immediate release of the hostages.

KORUS FTA

Another example of democracy at work is how our two countries negotiated and concluded the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, or KORUS FTA.  For me, this was just as exciting and interesting as the GNP primaries were for you.

The KORUS FTA generated enormous interest, both in the United States and in Korea.  I have been very impressed at how much the South Korean public knows about the FTA – and in some cases, how they took to the streets to express their view.  I have been impressed by the broad and lively debate in the Korean press – a discussion that is ongoing, I might add – about the effects of the KORUS FTA on Korea’s economy, regional standing, and overall competitiveness.  Thanks to the vigorous debate in the press, Korean citizens are a very well-informed group.  And this is why I was gratified when the tide shifted in public opinion in favor of ratification of the KORUS FTA.  As it stands, nearly two-thirds of South Koreans support ratification of the FTA.

I am delighted at this response, because the FTA will strengthen the prosperity of our two countries and add a new dimension to our alliance.  Trade is, of course, based on mutual interest in economic gain; thus, it is entirely possible, even probable, to have two winners.  I am convinced that Korea’s economic goals for the 21st century will be tremendously advanced by this FTA.

Likewise, I know that the U.S. economic position in Northeast Asia will be tremendously strengthened by the FTA.  This is a strong signal to the rest of the world that the United States is not disengaging from this region.  We are determined to remain competitive.

This agreement is Korea’s largest, and the United States’ first FTA in Northeast Asia.  The elimination of tariffs on 95% of goods within three years of entry-into-force of the agreement means that consumers on both sides of the Pacific will be able to reap the benefits of free trade.  Free trade entails both the opening of markets and the elimination of tariffs.  It means the creation of a level playing field for foreign and domestic companies to invest and do business.  These actions will give our consumers greater choices and lower prices, and they will catalyze our economies through increased competition, stronger intellectual property rights, and new investment opportunities.  We are doing this together, the first countries on the Pacific Rim to join hands in creating a zero-tariff environment that can serve as a model for the rest of the world.

We expect lively and vigorous debate in both the National Assembly and our Congress as each body begins the ratification process.  I am sure you are aware that some members of Congress are concerned about the FTA’s impact on certain sectors of the U.S. economy, such as our automobile industry, as well as the related issue of restrictions on imports of U.S. beef to Korea.  National Assembly members share similar concerns about the effect of the FTA on the Korean economy.  However, I remain confident that both bodies will recognize the short- and long-term benefits of this agreement – including the Korean consumer’s right to safe, delicious, and affordable U.S. agricultural products – and vote to ratify the FTA.

Visa Waiver Program

On our part, I believe the Visa Waiver Program is a good example of how the American political process works.  As you probably are aware, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, there has been a big increase in attention to border security in my country.  The recent Homeland Security Bill, signed into law by President Bush on August 3, addresses U.S. border security needs while making it possible for more of our closest allies to join the Visa Waiver Program.

We are working actively with the Korean government to facilitate Korea’s entry into the program as soon as possible, but there is still work to be done before that becomes a reality – including the introduction of biometric e-passports by the Korean side.  Considering the Embassy’s Consular section processed over 450,000 visas in the last fiscal year, and expects to process 480,000 this fiscal year, Korea’s entry into the VWP will be no small achievement.  Of course, the program provides a waiver only for short trips to the United States for business or tourism, so students and long-term exchange visitors will still need to apply for a visa; nonetheless, we expect the Embassy’s visa workload to decline by two thirds.

This legislative achievement came about because Korean citizens let their leaders know that they placed a high priority on Korea’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program.  As a result, the Korean government made this one of its top priorities in our bilateral discussions; they also worked hard to enlist support for the legislation from Korea’s many friends in Washington and around the USA, who value the importance of people-to-people exchange and expansion of business ties between our two countries.  They also helped mobilize Korean-Americans, who are of course delighted to facilitate reunions with their relatives and friends visiting the United States.  The Korean government continues to work closely with us to meet the prerequisites for entry into the newly-modified Visa Waiver Program.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I’d like to return to Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered 44 years ago today.  Dr. King’s dream of racial equality, of transcending racial stereotypes and unifying the American people, continues to inspire Americans – and people all around the world – to build bonds between one another.

I know Koreans have a similar dream.  In addition to striving for excellence in South Korea and moving to the front ranks of the truly advanced nations, Koreans are striving to achieve the goal of unification – a goal the United States supports.  Through our joint efforts in the Six Party Talks and through inter-Korean engagement, we hope to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.  This will, in turn, open the way to cooperation and economic progress for the people of North Korea that will help make the dream of unification a reality one day.

As we ponder the dream of unification, we should remember the sacrifices the generations before us have made to defend freedom, build democracy and achieve economic prosperity here in the Republic of Korea.

Thank you for this opportunity to be here with you.  I now look forward to listening to your thoughts and to answering your questions.