A Presidential Bull in the China Shop Roh Against U.S.-Japanese Sanctions on N.Korea Spot the Odd One Out Seoul-Washington Discord Over N.Korea to Deepen Korea in Appeal to Alternative Universe Roh Defends Minister’s Right to Slam U.S.

Seoul’s top official in charge of North Korea policy on Sunday singled out the U.S. as the nation whose policy toward Pyongyang “failed the most.”

“China has failed” to prevent the North from test-firing missiles “and we also recognize our own failure,” Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok said. “But if it was the U.S. the North tried to threaten the most, the logic goes that it is the U.S. that failed the most.” Lee made the remarks on an SBS TV program, hinting that an irate North Korea fired the missiles because Washington turned down its invitation to the U.S. chief nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill early last month.

Lee admitted that differences of opinion exist “in some areas” of North Korea policy between South Korea and the U.S.,” but added the two nations share the same view in many areas.

Asked about remarks by the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea Gen. Burwell Bell that seemed to chastise the government for lax security concerns, Lee said, “I didn’t hear the remarks directly so I can’t tell. But if he did say so, I can’t say I would wholeheartedly agree.” The USFK chief warned recently North Korea’s more than 800 mid-range Scud and Rodong missiles directly target the South.

To a question whether dialogue channels between the two Koreas have weakened since the Kim Dae-jung administration initiated the “sunshine policy,” the minister said it was an “illusion” to imagine a deep clandestine understanding and mutual trust existed between Seoul and the North. “It’s not a situation where the South can persuade the North over either the missiles or the nuclear issue,” he added.

(englishnews@chosun.com )