THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES THE COMING CHANGE IN SOUTH KOREAN POLITICS. IN THE AUTHOR'S VIEW, SOUTH KOREA IS IN A STATE OF RAPID TRANSITION. A NEW ERA BEGAN FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT PARK CHUNG-HEE IN 1979. A NEW ERA WILL OPEN WITH THE ELECTION OF A NEW PRESIDENT, HE SAYS, AND THE CHOOSING OF A NEW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NEW CONSTITUTION ADOPTED IN 1980.
This article contends that the September 11th terrorist attacks have had a significant effect on the Asian regional order as well as on the global order. Globally, they have had two seemingly contradictory effects. On the one hand, the post-9.11 situation has presented the major powers of the world, including the United States, Russia and China, to build a "system of concert," overcoming their rivalries and conflicting interests. It seems to have given new impetus to the promotion of multilateralism in international relations. On the other hand, it has helped to revive and rediscover what is known as realism in international politics, realism that recognizes the supremacy of the state and national interest as individual states become the main protector of their citizens in times of crises.The system of concert is also evolving in East Asia which, until September 11th, 2001, had been slow in catching up with the Western world (Europe and America) in international cooperation and multilateral mechanisms. Most remarkable in this regard is the improved relations between China and the United States and, secondarily, between China and Japan. Even though sources of conflict remain among various countries, major powers such as the United States, Russia, China and Japan now place greater emphasis upon cooperation and mutual assistance in fighting global terrorism. It nevertheless seems that Asians will continue to live in a regional order where a new system of concert that evolves in the aftermath of the 9–11 attacks coexists with a traditional geopolitical and real politics order.
The historic June 2000 summit and subsequent exchanges between North and South Korea have added a new dimension to not only South-North Korean relations but also the situation in Northeast Asia as a whole. On one hand, the thawing South- North Korean relations has generated great optimism among those who see it as an irrefutable sign of North Korea's intention to join the rest of the world as a constructive player. At the other extreme, it is seen as a deceptive, if not desperate, act on the part of North Korea to reap economic gains and lower the guard of South Korea and its allies, principally the United States. Perhaps a more realistic assessment lies somewhere between these polar analyses.
Le mondialisme comme politique étrangère : la Corée en a-t-elle les moyens ?, par Han Sung-Joo La tendance la plus marquante de la période de l'après-guerre froide est l'interdépendance grandissante des Etats avec, pour conséquence, la mondialisation des enjeux. Etant donné les transformations politiques et économiques de la Corée, la diplomatie de Séoul doit prêter une attention plus grande aux valeurs universelles et assumer plus de responsabilités au niveau international. La Corée devrait insister davantage sur la nécessité d'une diversification des acteurs et des problèmes traités ainsi que sur la coopération régionale, complément du mondialisme. Le mondialisme est indispensable au règlement efficace de la situation entre les deux Corées ; Pyongyang devrait ainsi mettre un terme à son isolement et participer à l'ordre mondial. A cette fin, il faut absolument que le problème de la nucléarisation de la Corée du Nord soit réglé. C'est ainsi qu'à vu le jour la nouvelle diplomatie de la Corée, fondée sur le mondialisme. Sur le plan intérieur, la nouvelle politique vise également à internationaliser la société coréenne.
