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A high-ranking official in the U.S. State Department has sought to put a dampener on Korean hopes to become a stabilizer in Northeast Asia, holding up the example of 20th century Poland which he said overestimated its weight as a regional power.
Instead the official, a former academic, said Korea should think of itself as a ˇ°middle power.ˇ± "It's true that Korea is bigger than Poland or the Netherlands in terms of geopolitical value, economic power or population, but it must consider itself a middle power," a source quoted him as saying. Poland pursued a strong ethnic nationalism early last century sandwiched between German and Russian powers, but was practically wiped out in 1939, when it was partitioned with the west going to Germany and the east to the Soviet Union.
The source quoted the official as saying Korea should also keep in mind how its Chosun (also spelled as Joseon) kingdom in the 19th century was unable to weather the storms of the time and misjudged alliances with outside forces before falling to Japan. But the official added, ˇ°I don't think the Korea of today is a nation that would make such a misjudgment."
The source also quoted a Korean Defense Ministry official as saying some media were still reporting negative things being said in Washington about Korea's ambition to become a regional balancer, ˇ°but I think what Korea wants to do is perfectly rational."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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