By Kim Sang-woo
More Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election than in any previous election. In a speech, President-elect Joseph Biden pledged to unify the nation: "To make progress we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies we are Americans." However, if Biden is serious about his intent to unify, he must stop Democrats and Republicans alike from demonizing one another with accusations of ill intent.
He should take a firm stand against members of his own party if they "misbehave." These coming weeks will be crucial and will determine whether Biden speaks for all Americans or, like Trump, settles for the support of those that voted for him in the election.
Although Trump lost the election more than 72 million Americans voted for the out-going president which means that almost half of the American people remain frustrated over their loss of economic and social status, and feel neglected by establishment politicians, wage imbalances, deindustrialization, economic inequality and other ongoing serious challenges. Many are convinced that immigration and cultural change pose a threat to their way of life. The COVID-19 crisis has compounded these anxieties.
Nonetheless, Biden built a broad coalition in the election by promising positive change, sober moderation and competent governance. Now that he has won the election, the major challenge is to rally the support within a Democratic Party that ranges from moderates, those on the center left, and those to the far left representing generational and ideological diversity. Already, some of them are making demands on the President-elect which will be a huge burden for him in his efforts to unite an already divided nation.
Moreover, the Senate is deadlocked at 49:49 with two seats in Georgia facing a run off in early January,, while critics are accusing the president-elect of being a captive of socialists in his party, which could result in giving the majority in the Senate to the Republicans making it very difficult to carry out the reforms necessary to heal the country, as well as obtaining support for his foreign policy initiatives to regain the respect of the international community by restoring the U.S.-led liberal international order.
President-elect Biden said that he will convene a "Global Democracy Summit" with allies and countries that share democratic values to keep China in check. At the beginning of his presidency, foreign affairs will not be a first priority due to the urgent domestic concerns that require immediate attention: COVID-19, the economy and overcoming the division of the country.
With all this in mind, what will the Biden presidency mean for Korea? On Dec. 18, two resolutions, to strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance, sponsored by members of the Democratic Party were unanimously adopted by Congress. However, another resolution, the declaration to end the Korean War, was repealed without even being introduced to the floor. This is quite indicative of the atmosphere in Congress which will naturally have a considerable influence on the incoming president and his administration.
In addition, the adopted resolution also stresses the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance in enhancing peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region which is a mild hint that Korea should take a more active role in the Indo-Pacific strategy to pressure China. And if President Moon Jae-in wants to see some real progress in his Korean Peninsula Peace Process, he should also keep in step with the U.S. denuclearization policy.
According to some close to Biden's transition team on foreign affairs, the spectrum is so wide that there is room for coordination, provided the Moon government gains the trust and confidence of the incoming U.S. administration. It is highly likely that North Korea will not be on "the first to do list" of the new government, and in this instance, from past experiences, North Korea is likely to seek attention by provoking the new administration through the launching of ICBMs or SLBMs, which is a bad idea.
The Moon government must find a way to persuade the North not to take this road. Biden will try to set the table to foster the environment in East Asia that is conducive for his administration when looking to set foreign policy priorities with Korea as a place it can make meaningful progress. If the Biden administration is willing, and Seoul could act as that bridge, maybe the U.S. will engage the Korean Peninsula sooner and not later.
Biden will not withdraw U.S. troops from Korea because he values the bilateral alliance and he will not demand outrageous amounts for the maintenance of the troops. However, as the U.S.-China conflict intensifies Korea may not be able to maintain its strategic ambiguity between Beijing and Washington and will have to choose a side which will determine the future of the Korean Peninsula in ways not experienced before.
If Korea wants to have influence over the side it takes, it would be prudent not to procrastinate until the last minute, but rather to decide as soon as possible, provided the national consensus is that it is the best possible choice for the national interests of Korea.
Kim Sang-woo (swkim54@hotmail.com) is a former lawmaker and is currently chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project. He is also a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation.
 |
He should take a firm stand against members of his own party if they "misbehave." These coming weeks will be crucial and will determine whether Biden speaks for all Americans or, like Trump, settles for the support of those that voted for him in the election.
Although Trump lost the election more than 72 million Americans voted for the out-going president which means that almost half of the American people remain frustrated over their loss of economic and social status, and feel neglected by establishment politicians, wage imbalances, deindustrialization, economic inequality and other ongoing serious challenges. Many are convinced that immigration and cultural change pose a threat to their way of life. The COVID-19 crisis has compounded these anxieties.
Nonetheless, Biden built a broad coalition in the election by promising positive change, sober moderation and competent governance. Now that he has won the election, the major challenge is to rally the support within a Democratic Party that ranges from moderates, those on the center left, and those to the far left representing generational and ideological diversity. Already, some of them are making demands on the President-elect which will be a huge burden for him in his efforts to unite an already divided nation.
Moreover, the Senate is deadlocked at 49:49 with two seats in Georgia facing a run off in early January,, while critics are accusing the president-elect of being a captive of socialists in his party, which could result in giving the majority in the Senate to the Republicans making it very difficult to carry out the reforms necessary to heal the country, as well as obtaining support for his foreign policy initiatives to regain the respect of the international community by restoring the U.S.-led liberal international order.
President-elect Biden said that he will convene a "Global Democracy Summit" with allies and countries that share democratic values to keep China in check. At the beginning of his presidency, foreign affairs will not be a first priority due to the urgent domestic concerns that require immediate attention: COVID-19, the economy and overcoming the division of the country.
With all this in mind, what will the Biden presidency mean for Korea? On Dec. 18, two resolutions, to strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance, sponsored by members of the Democratic Party were unanimously adopted by Congress. However, another resolution, the declaration to end the Korean War, was repealed without even being introduced to the floor. This is quite indicative of the atmosphere in Congress which will naturally have a considerable influence on the incoming president and his administration.
In addition, the adopted resolution also stresses the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance in enhancing peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region which is a mild hint that Korea should take a more active role in the Indo-Pacific strategy to pressure China. And if President Moon Jae-in wants to see some real progress in his Korean Peninsula Peace Process, he should also keep in step with the U.S. denuclearization policy.
According to some close to Biden's transition team on foreign affairs, the spectrum is so wide that there is room for coordination, provided the Moon government gains the trust and confidence of the incoming U.S. administration. It is highly likely that North Korea will not be on "the first to do list" of the new government, and in this instance, from past experiences, North Korea is likely to seek attention by provoking the new administration through the launching of ICBMs or SLBMs, which is a bad idea.
The Moon government must find a way to persuade the North not to take this road. Biden will try to set the table to foster the environment in East Asia that is conducive for his administration when looking to set foreign policy priorities with Korea as a place it can make meaningful progress. If the Biden administration is willing, and Seoul could act as that bridge, maybe the U.S. will engage the Korean Peninsula sooner and not later.
Biden will not withdraw U.S. troops from Korea because he values the bilateral alliance and he will not demand outrageous amounts for the maintenance of the troops. However, as the U.S.-China conflict intensifies Korea may not be able to maintain its strategic ambiguity between Beijing and Washington and will have to choose a side which will determine the future of the Korean Peninsula in ways not experienced before.
If Korea wants to have influence over the side it takes, it would be prudent not to procrastinate until the last minute, but rather to decide as soon as possible, provided the national consensus is that it is the best possible choice for the national interests of Korea.
Kim Sang-woo (swkim54@hotmail.com) is a former lawmaker and is currently chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project. He is also a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation.
![[INTERVIEW] Leandro Erlich's questioning of our perception of reality carries new meaning in pandemic](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/4e0bfee487254348a54493b1502067fa.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
