U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a daily briefing Thursday that the U.S. government hopes for continued strong relations, but most observers are saying that U.S. is probably quite disturbed about developments.

"Yoon's departure means that Korean officials friendly to the United States are on their way out while the so-called "independence faction" that wants to maintain distance from the U.S. have come to power," said a diplomatic source in Washington. "It is highly likely that the discord which has been latent in the relationship, in areas such as redefining the Korean-American alliance and the North Korean nuclear issue, will come to a climax."

The Wall Street Journal, a publication well informed about the position of the conservatives within the Bush Administration, suggested Friday that Yoon shared the Roh government's refusal to recognize the North Korean nuclear threat, so now that even Yoon has been removed, it is possible there could be a worsening of relations. The New York Times wrote Thursday that it appears Yoon's departure is a "victory for the president in his drive to reduce Seoul's dependence on the United States in regional foreign policy."

In an interview with Reuters last Tuesday, Deputy Assistant U.S. Defense Secretary Richard Lawless said, "We are disappointed and frustrated with the delays on key decisions… We recognize that if we don't reach agreement in the next few weeks, the beginning of the entire realignment process will be delayed by at least a year." This is the first time Lawless, the senior member of the U.S. delegation at bilateral talks this week in Hawai'i, has expressed such open displeasure with the Korean government.

The America hands in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade are very concerned about the emergence of "independent diplomacy" in the wake of Yoon's removal. The atmosphere is one of shock, at how Cheong Wa Dae could say that " A certain few individuals at the foreign ministry have been unable to grow beyond the dependent foreign policy of the past and have not adequately followed the basic spirit and direction of the new independent foreign policy." There is concern that distrust directed towards them will directly affect their careers.

The America hands within the foreign ministry are called the "Washington School." They are the group within the ministry that best understands the United States, and membership is defined by a generally accepted course that begins at the North America division then rotates through the Washington embassy, Cheong Wa Dae, and later back as a section chief at the North America division and back to a higher position at the embassy in Washington again.

Diplomats with such careers are saying that the "independent diplomacy" episode was poorly timed. This year there are an enormous amount of delicate issues to be dealt with, including the six-way talks, troops for Iraq, the Yongsan garrison, the new location for the U.S. embassy, and the relocation of the U.S. 2nd Infantry. One America hand said, "independent diplomacy will be interpreted as the weakening of the alliance, and will likely upset the United States. Upsetting the U.S. might make the people feel better temporarily, but it is in no way beneficial to the national interests."

"We absolutely need the U.S. as an ally, but the U.S. does not think of Korea that way," said the source. "Because of the uproar over independent diplomacy, managing the Korean-American alliance has become more urgent an issue than North Korea's nuclear program." (Joo Yong-joong, midway@chosun.com )