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Roh Wants Bigger Say in Ties With U.S.
President-elect Roh Moo-hyun came from a poor farming family, studied alone to pass the bar exam and built a reputation as a human rights lawyer during South Korea's past military rule. "I will try to become a president, not just for the people who supported me, but also for the people who opposed me in the election," the 55-year-old Roh said Thursday after election returns were announced. "I will try to open a new era for dialogue and reconciliation. Let's strive together to serve the people." Roh says he will be aggressive in reconciling with communist North Korea and striving for an "equal" relationship with South Korea's closest ally, the United States. "I don't have any anti-American sentiment, but I won't kowtow to the Americans, either," he said in a recent television debate.Tell ya what: you don't kowtow, and we won't pay any attention to you. Oh, and by the way: we need those troops you don't like for something more important... Roh, who has never traveled to the United States, accused South Korea's past presidents of "groveling" before U.S. leaders. His attitude toward America helped make him popular among young voters, who want to reduce South Korea's reliance on the United States, which fought with the South in the 1950-1953 Korean War. But that's all in the past, so it's time to move on... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-12-19 |
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