[COLUMN] S. Korea needs to build up national power for balanced diplomacy

[Yonhap Photo]

President Moon Jae-in, who made a state visit to China, seems to have returned home with a heavy heart. It is clear that his visit was not well timed or well planned.

In fact, our diplomatic, unification, and security sectors are inferior to the outwardly revealed glaze. In politics and other internal fields, we have seen progress to some extent through fierce conflicts and trials, but foreign policies lack self-sustaining and accumulated power. Of course, the primary cause is the lack of independence brought about by our poverty and division.

Because we have lived in the shade of the world's strongest power for 70 years, we had no opportunity to boost our independent diplomatic capacity, with our defense dependent on the U.S. But now it is fateful time to make our future into our strength.

Foreign pundits have come up with all kinds of theories and inferences about whether South Korea will be closer to China, or whether it will eventually team up with the U.S. and Japan. China and Japan are pressuring us to come to their side, assuming that South Korea has no choice but to choose between them.

But we have to do balanced diplomacy. Given our current national strength and other conditions, there is a shortage of self-reliance as a dynamic 'balancer' between the two countries, but we must balance ourselves by building up our strength and wisdom. We must practically cultivate strength for our national interests.

This column was contributed by Seo Hyung-rai, the executive director of the Institute of Traditional Culture.

Lim Chang-won cwlim34@ajunews.com

[COLUMN] S. Korea needs to build up national power for balanced diplomacy

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