Katrin Fraser, who is tipped as the new Asia director at the White House’ National Security Council, criticized the Bush administration for lack of understanding of Korean culture in a quarterly published by the New York-based Korean Society, it emerged Wednesday.

Fraser lived in Korea for two years. In a contribution to the spring 2002 edition of the Korean Society Quarterly, she said that the Bush administration’s misunderstanding of Korean culture fanned anti-American sentiment here since 2001. Fraser discusses President Bush's State of the Union address of 2002 in which he famously called North Korea part of an "axis of evil."

She says South Korea's "swift and largely negative reaction" came from two factors. One was a gradual buildup of anti-U.S. sentiment due to Bush's rejection of engagement with North Korea, and the other "cultural insensitivity on the part of the Bush administration." By calling North Korea "evil," Bush offended against Korean norms of relationship management and communication, which focus on face-saving and "kibun," she said.

"If the president had demonstrated an awareness of the importance of maintaining kibun in relating to Koreans (North or South), perhaps the South Korean response to his statement would have been more muted,” she writes.

In the notes, Fraser explains that “kibun” is equivalent to “feelings” or “atmosphere.” According to Fraser, maintaining good “kibun” is the key in relations and communication in Korea. “Flare-ups due to a lack of cultural nuance in our public statements seem both unnecessary and avoidable,” she said. “Were U.S. policy more sensitive to Korean communication norms, the Bush administration would be able to pursue its interests with less collateral damage to public opinion in South Korea.”

(englishnews@chosun.com )