The Madness of President Roh

Every time you think you've seen the height of Roh Moo-hyun's folly, he goes and tops it with something even more absurd.

SEOUL -- The South Korean president's office on Sunday accused Japan of making a "fuss" over North Korean missile launches, suggesting Tokyo was contributing to the tense situation.

"It is not any good to heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula or aggravate the South-North relations and neither does it help to solve the nuclear issue or the missile issue," said a statement from President Roh Moo-hyun's office.

"There is no reason to fuss over this from the break of dawn like Japan, but every reason to do the opposite," the statement said.

These are the words of a fool who had nothing to say for a full 24 hours after the latest act of belligerence by the country with which his own nation is still officially at war, despite being more than ready to rush into making fiery threats when insignificant matters like Dokdo/Takeshima are at stake. One can only feel sorry for the South Koreans who are stuck with such an incompetent as leader for 2 more years, but then again, they did elect him: I'm sure most Koreans are familiar with the proverb which goes 自業自得 (자업자득), "You reap what you sow."

Comments

[Won Joon Choe]

Abiola,

Seriously, calling Mr. Roh a fool is, ummm, being generous to a fault.

[Jim]

"These are the words of a fool who had nothing to say for a full 24 hours after the latest act of belligerence by the country with which his own nation is still officially at war, "

That right there is the problem. S. Korea is only officially at war with the North, not actually at war. The south is acting as if Korea is all one nation. Fine. Acknowledging that would make things so much simpler for the US, because it is so, so much easier to apply pressure to the south. We might start by cranking up the volume of our rhetoric, by threatening massive retaliation against the Korean nation *as a whole* for any attack on Japan.

Time to get off the fence. Either side will do.

[Chuckles]

Can Koizumi try to push through a repeal of Article 9 before he steps down? Can he set the stage for a repeal by his successor? I know time is short but now is the perfect opportunity and I really hopes he seizes - since he is on a serious roll right now - what with his electoral victories, economic reforms, crackdown on corporate fraud and Graceland visits. The primary outcome of the sabre shaking currently going on ought to be a repeal of Article 9. Oh that it were so...

PS: Game theory would suggest an immediate repeal - correct me if I'm wrong, anybody...