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| External pressure that tests sovereignty, should be answered with principles |
Recently, the external environment surrounding the Lee Jae-myung government is unusual. In particular, the US government's successive remarks and pressures give the impression that it is trying to influence the policy direction of a sovereign state beyond just expressing diplomatic views. This raises serious questions about how far that boundary can be allowed, even if it is wrapped in the name of an alliance.
An alliance is an essential asset in the reality of international politics. However, an alliance is based on mutual respect and trust. When one party's will determines the other's choice, it transforms into subordination rather than cooperation. Furthermore, the United States' attempt to influence other countries' policy-making processes, which has promoted liberal democracy as its core value, contradicts the values it has emphasized.
The Republic of Korea has passed modern and contemporary history amid foreign interference. The lessons identified in the process are clear. The state makes its own decisions, and the decision must be based on the will of the people. If external pressure tries to sway and distort its direction, it should be recognized as a matter of sovereignty beyond simple diplomatic issues.
Today's Republic of Korea is no longer a country of the past that was swayed by drafts. As a mid-sized country with the world's 10th-largest economy and top-tier military power, it is in a position to be asked for responsibility and role in the international community. In line with this position, we now need a confident diplomacy based on principles and national interests. While maintaining the alliance, the relationship should not turn into a structure that restricts our choices.
The government's response should be clear. It should clearly convey a firm stance based on principles and strategies, not emotional ones, through diplomatic channels. It is the state's responsibility to respond unwavering to any attempt to undermine national interests and sovereignty. At the same time, the people should also face the situation with a cool-headed perspective and make it clear that we are determined to keep our own choices and responsibilities.
An alliance is not a subjugation. Cooperation cannot be another name for interference. No one can exercise the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea on behalf of the people, and its ultimate master is the people. What is needed now is not emotion, but a principle, not a compromise, but a standard. Protecting sovereignty is not an option, but the minimum responsibility for the existence of a country. -Representative reporter Kim Moon-kyo-
김문교 대표기자 cambroadcast@naver.com
