The Korea-US summit held in Washington on Monday began under tension, with the possibility of failure — or even fiasco — hanging over it. However, the summit ended in great success, as the two presidents, both inaugurated earlier this year, repeatedly staged scenes of broad smiles and praised each other as great leaders. Since the future of the Korea-US alliance was at stake in this summit, the majority of citizens in both countries are breathing a sigh of relief. They are now dreaming of a golden age of the Korea-US alliance thanks to its success.

The reason this summit can, without hesitation, be called a great success is that its achievements were delivered with form and substance. While many media outlets in Korea and the United States offered positive evaluations, some also gave harsher assessments that it was servile diplomacy relying on flattery. This claim is hard to agree with. It is true that President Lee Jae Myung, in the early stages of the summit, showered US President Donald Trump with praise that might have seemed like flattery. If it had ended there, and President Trump had indulged in emperor-like behavior, intoxicated by flattery, then the criticism of servile diplomacy could be justified. But reality unfolded differently. President Trump tried to return the compliments as much as he received from President Lee. Referring to President Lee as a great leader, a good guy, a good representative of Korea, and a smart man, he stated that the United States would provide full support and that under President Lee’s leadership, the Republic of Korea would achieve an incredible future at greater heights. Praise in only one direction is flattery, but when it flows both ways, it becomes refined diplomatic rhetoric.

Second, there were forces actively trying to turn this summit into a failure, but the fact that Korea and the United States suppressed those disruptive maneuvers through close coordination and achieved success means it is by no means a temporary one. The obstruction attempts seemed to be working when, 2 1/2 hours before the summit began, President Trump posted on Truth Social a claim that there had been something like a "purge or revolution" in Korea. Later, he told reporters that there were reports of the new Korean government raiding churches, showing that the social media post was not a coincidence. Such claims are completely baseless and are very similar to what a tiny number of election-fraud conspiracy theorists in Korea and the United States, or certain religious leaders under special investigation in Korea, have been insisting over the past few months. In response, the official communication channels of both countries reacted sensitively. In Korea, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik immediately met with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to explain the Korean government’s position and requested that she report the matter to President Trump. In fact, during the summit, President Trump stated that he was convinced the rumors he had mentioned were misunderstandings, thereby turning a crisis into an opportunity. Claims that President Lee is a communist or that he was elected through fraudulent elections manipulated by China will no longer surface.

Third, in this summit, the two leaders not only worked to stage impressive scenes but also strove to identify essential elements for both countries and to create programs for win-win cooperation. Ultimately, the two sides concluded that combining Korea’s manufacturing capabilities with America’s technological strengths would be mutually beneficial, and they agreed to discover fields — including shipbuilding — where win-win cooperation is possible and to develop concrete programs.

Of course, this summit did not complete the golden age of the Korea-US alliance. What it did was align the will and aspiration of the two leaders to open such a golden age. Without substantial efforts, the golden age may never arrive. Future tasks are not easy. For example, in the matter of rebuilding the US shipbuilding industry, there are many legal constraints that make Korean companies’ activities in US territory less than free. To resolve such issues proactively, the two nations will need meticulous and patient consultation and cooperation. The modernization of the alliance is also a hard task. It is not something that can be solved within a month or two to create a framework satisfying both nations. Elevating President Trump into the role of peacemaker will also be an extremely difficult challenge. Careful strategy and skillful diplomacy will be required to persuade North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong-un to come to the table. China must also be considered. During this summit, many of President Lee’s remarks served to reassure the US, but from China’s perspective, several questions will have been raised. In the process of resetting relations with China after this summit, effective strategy and rigorous preparation will also be necessary.

Above all, persuading the Korean public is the most important task at the political level. The biggest obstacle to the golden age project of the Korea-US alliance will be partisan strife at home. Already, some opposition figures are focusing on disparaging the results of the summit by claiming that Lee was treated poorly in terms of protocol. Concentrated and repeated political offensives from the opposition will inevitably lead to diplomatic failure because they consume national energy in fights against the opposition at home. Policy promotion and appeals for cooperation directed at the opposition, media and citizens cannot be neglected, since they have the effect of weakening such offensives. The forces that attempted by every means to ruin this summit are still in place, and they will surely seek another opportunity. One cannot know when President Trump’s misunderstandings may resurface again. Therefore, not being arrogant, not being complacent, and communicating sincerely and effectively with the people — including the opposition — is the fundamental and essential task for celebrating a golden age of the Korea-US alliance.

Wang Son-taek

Wang Son-taek is an adjunct professor at Sogang University. He is a former diplomatic correspondent at YTN and a former research associate at Yeosijae. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.


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