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September 15, 2005

Original Article (English)

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun

President Roh Moo-hyun on Tuesday pitched into the debate about a statue of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur in Incheon's Freedom Park, saying that the 1950 landing at Incheon, led by MacArthur, was a turning point in the Korean War and that the landing and the statue, "are part of our history." Roh made the remarks at a meeting with Korean residents of New York at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan.

Police Protect MacArthur Statue on Sunday

"We should leave the statue as it is, and respect its place in history," he said. "We have to remember the bad things as being bad and the good things as being good." He said that the important thing is, "that since we are a sovereign independent nation, from now on we [the U.S. and South Korea] must take full responsibility and cooperate with mutual respect."

He said, "Some people hope for quicker changes in the Korean-American relationship, but the important thing is for us to move ahead in a controlled manner, based on consensus." [In other words, some of his supporters want Seoul to distance itself further from Washington]. He also urged fellow Koreans not to insult others simply because they have differing interpretations of history, and "to proceed to do what must be done with calmness and presence of mind."

Regarding North Korea's nuclear program, he said, "The issues are being addressed at six-party talks in Beijing." The talks have been progressing slowly and with great difficulty, "but things are headed in the right direction, which gives us hope, so I don't think anyone wants to foul this up," he said.

Turning to the inter-Korean relationship, the president said the fact that Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has been in Pyongyang discussing peaceful relations "suggests that there has been a lot of progress between the two sides, even though it takes a long time to see results."

Roh said that when he first took office he had "worried" over the Korea-U.S. alliance, "but now the relationship between the two countries is going well … Where we are now is important, but what's more important is how we have changed over the last five or ten years, and which direction the changes are taking us, as the relationship gradually moves toward one based on the mutual cooperation." [In other words, the U.S. is now too dominant].

He added, "I am not suggesting abrupt change. We have to take our time and plan to achieve a relationship of mutual respect and close cooperation with the U.S. Above all, we have to go in the direction that secures the safety and prosperity of the Korean people."

Pro-U.S. Protestor Near Statue of MacArthur, Sunday

U.S. Congress Says, 'Send Back Statue If You Can't Protect It'

Members of the U.S. House Committee on International Relations on Thursday protested at calls in Korea to topple a statue of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur in Incheon. Their protest came in a letter to President Roh Moo-hyun, signed by committee chairman Henry Hyde and others.

The letter said, if not for the 1950 Incheon landing led by MacArthur, the Korea of today would not exist. If attempts to damage the statue continued, it would be better to hand it over to the Americans, the letter said.

The letter reminded the president of his own remarks that toppling the statue would displease the people and government of the United States. It also said that Congress had taken note of the warning of firm action against anyone who damages the monument from Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan. It urged the South Korean government to do everything necessary to protect the statue from harm.

The lawmakers said that this September marked the 55th anniversary of the Incheon Landing, and expressed hope that Koreans would remember that they have enjoyed unprecedented peace and prosperity since Seoul and Washington joined to fight back the "communist invasion" 50 years ago. The President added that both the U.S. and South Korea must remember those who sacrificed so much to achieve the victory under MacArthur's command, in particular the Americans who died in the operation.