South Korea's new president talks the talk, walks the walk

Lee Myung-bek has done what he said that he would during his run for Seoul's Blue House. He wasn't going to give North Korea a free pass. Now he has done away with the Ministry of Unification which he says is too easy and cosy with Kim Jong il's regime, and put dealings with North Korea under the strong arm of the Ministry of Foregin Affairs. Bye Bye Sundshine policy. This should bring a ray of home to Washington's and Seoul's hardliners. The shift in attitude puts off to the Greek kalends the desire to lessen tensions on the broken Korean peninsula, and to shunt Pyongyang to the rank of a foreign country. Which runs against the grain of the ubiquitous Korean desire for eventual re unification of a divided homeland. This raises the question of what is Mr. Lee's attitude to Kaesong, the economic free zone, which his old company Hyundai is footing the bill? What about the 45 accords signed by Roh Moo hyo and Kim Jong il during the second inter Korean summit [October 2007]? Will he with a stroke of pen abrogate them? Swaggering and posturing will not bring Pyongyang to its knees. As a Korean, Mr. Lee should know that North Korea digs in its heels when faced with adversity. And this mini mouse Bush who blew hot and cold learnt at his own peril. What's more Mr. Lee is slightly younger than Chairman Kim Jong il, and his attitude towards an elder brother does not augur well in a traditional cultural sense. So Mr. Lee's bold stroke will in the short run is nothing but a Pyhrric victory.