South Korean President Kim Dae Jung is in Washington this week to coordinate his views with those of U.S. President George W. Bush. There is concern in Seoul that the new administration is not as firmly behind Mr. Kim as was President Bill Clinton. Initial reports from their meetings suggest the fears are correct: Mr. Bush is more skeptical of North Korean intentions than his predecessor was. Given the North's record, that seems fair. But skepticism must not give way to hostility. Treating Pyongyang like an enemy will ensure that it becomes one. Just as important, Washington and Seoul must work together, coordinating policies so that there is no daylight between their positions.
Mr. Bush made no secret of his concern about U.S. policy, and that of South Korea, toward North Korea during the U.S. presidential campaign. Mr. Kim adopted his Sunshine Policy in an attempt to break the stalemate in relations between the two Koreas. While it has produced some spectacular results, most notably the historic summit last year between him and his North Korean counterpart Mr. Kim Jong Il, the policy is controversial. It has come under attack by growing numbers of South Koreans who feel that their president has given too much to the North and received too little in return. With a presidential election scheduled for next year, opposition can be expected to intensify. That is why the U.S. position is critical.
Washington has taken the lead in negotiations with Pyongyang over its missile development and suspected nuclear-weapons programs. The United States walks a fine line: It does not want the North to deal with Washington at Seoul's expense, but neither does it want Seoul to strike a deal that is, from the U.S. perspective, too soft.