Korea Passing

Korea Passing (코리아 패싱) is a neologism for the phenomenon of the Republic of Korea being alienated from the international community during discussions on North Korea in 2017.

The origin and use of Korea Passing

In 2017, during presidential candidate discussions, Yoo Seung-min, the Bareun Party candidate, mentioned 'Korea Passing'. Yoo argued that Korea was isolated in its diplomatic relations with the global community. The term derives from Bill Clinton's 1998 visit to China without visiting Japan, which the Japanese media termed 'Japan passing', signifying "Japan's alienation from the global society." In early 2017, 'Korea Passing' emerged as a diplomatic keyword related to the situation facing South Korea.

Criticism

Originally, 'passing' is a Japlish term, and the correct English expression is "being given the cold shoulder". Also, some argue that it's more of a "Konglish" term, and that governments are unlikely to use it. However, major U.S. media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Fox News, mentioned Korea Passing as a new term related to the South Korea situation.

Controversy

United States

South Korea-U.S. Friction on North Korea and THAAD

Park Geun-hye was impeached in March 2017, and there was a strong possibility that Moon Jae-in, known for his more friendly stance toward North Korea, would win the upcoming election. The Trump administration worried that the incoming South Korean government might be less forceful in imposing sanctions on North Korea.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated when North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test in September 2017, following several ballistic missile launches in April 2017. In response, the Trump administration increased sanctions and pressure on North Korea. The Moon Jae-in administration, taking office at the same time, prioritized the safety of the North Korean regime.

The administration also pursued policies aimed at resuming the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Mount Kumgang tours, seeking economic cooperation with North Korea. This directly led to conflicts between South Korea and the United States.

Donald Trump contacted Shinzo Abe immediately after North Korea's missile launches, but did not contact Moon Jae-in. This further fueled the controversy surrounding Korea Passing.On the other hand, Moon Jae-in raised questions about transparency in the deployment of the THAAD in South Korea. The U.S. Department of Defense responded to these questions.

U.S. side reaction

The New York Times ignited the controversy by asserting that South Korea would be an "odd man out" due to differences in North Korea policy at a Korea-U.S.-Japan summit on September 21, 2017. Later, Donald Trump visited South Korea on November 7 and held a press conference with Moon Jae-in. Trump stated that "Korea is a very important country" and "there will be no exclusion," denying the "Korea Passing" claim. However, conservative opposition parties maintained that Trump's comments were typical diplomatic rhetoric, and the "Korea Passing" controversy persisted, lacking any concrete agreement.

Following the U.S.-South Korea summit, Trump expressed appreciation for Moon Jae-in's cooperation on the North Korea issue and noted some progress. Nevertheless, the Wall Street Journal criticized Moon Jae-in's policies regarding the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the THAAD issue with China, describing him as an "unreliable friend," suggesting continued negative views of the Moon Jae-in administration within U.S. society.

Controversy between South Korea and the U.S. during the North Korea-U.S. summit.

On May 19, 2018, Donald Trump called Moon Jae-in shortly before Moon's visit to the U.S., questioning the discrepancy between Moon's pledges and North Korea's stance on denuclearization. Trump expressed dissatisfaction.

During the May 22 summit between South Korea and the U.S., Trump maintained a stern demeanor. Trump held a press conference with few opportunities for Moon Jae-in to respond to questions, even refusing to use an interpreter for Moon Jae-in's final response.

On May 24, 2018, Trump unexpectedly announced the cancellation of the planned June 2018 North Korea-U.S. summit. The Blue House learned of the cancellation through Twitter.

This prompted renewed controversy about "Korea Passing," with Hong Jun-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party arguing that the Moon Jae-in administration was excluded from the North Korea-U.S. summit negotiations and that the success of the negotiation depended on the U.S. and China.

On June 30, 2019, during the 2019 Koreas–United States DMZ Summit, according to John Bolton's book The Room Where It Happened, Donald Trump did not want Moon Jae-in to join him.

China

China's reaction to the inauguration of the Moon Jae-in administration also contributed to the controversy.

Conflict between South Korea and China over THAAD deployment

Moon Jae-in decided on additional THAAD deployment, prompting criticism from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who described it as "pouring cold water on relations between the two countries". Xi Jinping also reportedly expressed displeasure, saying that Moon Jae-in had deceived them.On October 31, 2017, South Korea and China issued a joint statement outlining "results of consultations between the two countries on improving relations". In this context, China demanded that South Korea promise not to: deploy additional THAAD, participate in the U.S. missile defense system, and cooperate with the U.S. and Japan. This sparked controversy regarding South Korea's diplomatic concessions. China did not apologize for its THAAD retaliation, nor did they prevent future instances, emphasizing that normalized relations depended on adherence to the "no-three-things" agreement. This left open the possibility of future tensions.

North Korea

North Korean policy shifted under the Moon Jae-in administration. The South Korean government consistently proposed military talks, Red Cross talks, and requested North Korea's participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, but North Korea remained unresponsive for some time, sparking controversy.

North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics initially appeared promising, following Kim Jong-un's New Year's message indicating their intent to participate. Inter-Korean relations flourished, even after the successful inter-Korean summit in April 2018. However, disagreements over denuclearization and North Korea's unilateral disregard for the South Korean side reignited the "Korea Passing" controversy.

North Korea unilaterally canceled scheduled high-level talks, strongly denouncing the joint South Korea-U.S. military exercise "Max Thunder" and condemning the defection of Thae Yong-ho as "human scum."

In June 2020, North Korea demolished an inter-Korean liaison office.

Japan

In Japan, "politely ignoring" the Moon Jae-in administration was considered the best approach.

Japan's 2019 Defense White Paper downgraded South Korea's standing as a security partner, effectively giving South Korea the "cold shoulder." Since 2018, the cooperative relationship between the two countries has been weakened, particularly concerning the "Agreement on the Settlement of Problems concerning Property and Claims and on Economic Co-operation between Japan and the Republic of Korea." Japan has been waiting for South Korea to resolve this international issue.

South Korea's failure to arrange a summit meeting with Japan during the 2019 G20 Osaka summit further fueled controversy over Korea Passing. A former Korean foreign minister, Gong Ro-myung, criticized the Korean government for amateurish handling of the situation, leading to catastrophic deterioration in Korea-Japan relations.

See also

• Foreign relations of South Korea
• THAAD
• Moon Jae-in
• Donald Trump
• North Korea-United States summit (disambiguation)
• 2017 North Korean nuclear test
• Globalization

References

This article "Korea Passing" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Korea Passing. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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