SEOUL -- On the surface, U.S.-South Korean relations have seldom seemed better. Last fall's contentious issues -- negotiations over revisions to the Status of Forces Agreement and over South Korean missile-development plans -- were settled amicably. The new U.S. administration has firmly endorsed the alliance. South Korean President Kim Dae Jung is expected to be the first Asian leader to visit President George W. Bush in Washington, on March 7. (Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori was invited to come a few days earlier but apparently can't make the trip.) In addition, the administration has pledged its support for Kim's North-South reconciliation effort and promised to continue its own dialogue with Pyongyang.
But, if things are going so well, why does everyone in Seoul seem so nervous? The answer comes down to one word: uncertainty. Seoul is uncertain about Washington's true intentions regarding rapprochement with North Korea; it is uncertain about North Korean intentions and Pyongyang's willingness to give as well as to take; and it is far from certain whether Kim can sustain (some would say achieve) domestic political support for his North Korea policy. There is also uncertainly as to when and if North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will come to the South and even greater uncertainty over Seoul's ability to successfully manage the visit.
I'm told that Seoul's primary goal for the Kim Dae Jung-Bush summit is a simple one: to alleviate anxiety. Kim will seek Bush's personal, unqualified endorsement for the South's Sunshine Policy of reconciliation and engagement with North Korea. While there will be a strong reaffirmation of America's defense commitment to South Korea and the need for continued military deterrence, the world's newest Nobel Peace laureate will also want Bush to wave some olive branches in Pyongyang's direction. Some acknowledgment of North Korea's bold steps toward reconciliation and reform will be sought, and should be forthcoming, albeit with the necessary qualifiers.