A top official from the National Security Council on Wednesday threw his weight behind a change in Korea's geopolitical strategy away from what he called the "Cold War camp diplomacy" in East Asia, pitting a northern alliance of North Korea, China and Russia against the southern alliance of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.

"In future, Korea will break from the framework of confrontation and switch to open security cooperation," the official said. "As a dynamic actor, Korea will play a balancing role in Northeast Asia." He was echoing remarks by President Roh Moo-hyun on March 22 that Korea would play a balancing or stabilizing role in the region - a role Roh said arose "from earnest reflection on the loss of Korea's national sovereignty 100 years ago."

The official countered criticism that Korea's new role would undermine the Korea-U.S. alliance. "Korea will anchor its balancing role in the Korea-U.S. alliance," he said, this time echoing comments from Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon. However, observers are reading these ideas as meaning that in the event of tensions in Northeast Asia, Korea would not chose a side.

On Wednesday, Roh also repeated the new doctrine, saying "Korea must play the role of balancer so that tensions do not revive within Northeast Asia." The president reportedly said recently hegemonic competition between China and Japan was a major insecurity factor in Northeast Asia, adding Korea needed to help avert a situation where a U.S.-Japan alliance faces off against China.

(englishnews@chosun.com )