"A certain few individuals at the foreign ministry have been unable to grow beyond the dependent foreign policy of the past," said Chung Chan-yong, senior secretary for civil affairs at Cheong Wa Dae. "They have not adequately followed the basic spirit and direction of the new independent foreign policy."

It was the first time the country heard the words "independent" or “sovereign” used in an official description of Roh Moo-hyun government's foreign policy. And it meant a victory for the "independent faction" in the conflict between the "Korean-American alliance faction" at the foreign and defense ministries and the "independence faction" at Cheong Wa Dae's National Security Council.

Yoon's removal is a censure for insubordination. "The issue of Yoon's removal has no relation to conflict between the foreign ministry and the NSC," said President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday. "I can adjust conflict. [But when] conclusions have been made and there are attempts to apply the brakes, that's insubordination towards the president."

Roh went on to say that he had sought to warn the foreign ministry officials who had become a problem, then sought to issue reprimands, but the foreign minister said he would assume responsibility for resolving the matter. "That promise was not kept, and [the situation] worsened," said Roh.

During his New Year's press conference Wednesday, Roh said there had "sometimes been leaks intended to alter the president's policies, and leaks intended to influence the details of policies after larger policy had been decided." One sees how the president believed the foreign ministry was deliberately and systematically opposing him.

Korean diplomacy, and especially the Korean-American alliance, has taken a direct hit in the whole episode, because of Cheong Wa Dae's talk of "independent diplomacy" in discussing Yoon's departure. The United States is Korea's only ally. It was this alliance that has maintained peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula for the last 50 years. "Independence," on the other hand, signals a departure from this alliance, or at least maintaining a certain distance.

"Why did they have to come out with this 'independent diplomacy'?" asked Bak Geon-u, former ambassador to the United States. "I worry about the problems [the country] is about to run into." Kim Young-jin, an honorary professor at George Washington University, said the United States would be shocked at how "even Yoon couldn't last." Whether intentional or not, by letting go of Yoon, Roh has declared that he intends to change the framework of the Korean diplomacy for the last half a century.

Korean-American relations will of course not be suddenly turning cold. "Relations have been off-track since the anti-American candlelight protests of 2002," said one elder diplomat. "This latest incident will make American policy makers 'close their hearts' towards Korea." This is why Yoon's removal means more than just the departure of a single government minister. (Park Du-sik, dspark@chosun.com )