(EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on June 2)

Peace and economy

It may sound a little paradoxical but the ASEAN-Korea Summit on Jeju Island could
not come at better time.

After a week during which North Korea dismayed the world
community and further isolated itself through a series of arms demonstrations,
including a nuclear test and missile launches, South Korea's President Lee
Myung-bak is hosting an important conference with Asian leaders in search of
peace and economic advancement.
Presidents and prime ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations and South Korea,
along with some 700 leading businesspeople from the region are earnestly
discussing how to build a "practical business community" taking advantage of rich
human and material resources, high growth potential and geographical proximity.
Their agenda covers global and regional issues, including the expansion of trade
and investment, food and energy security and climate change.
Seogwipo on Jeju Island is the country's farthest point from North Korea, but the
authorities took pains to provide maximum security for the participants in
consideration of the tension caused by the North's saber-rattling. Thousands of
police troopers and special anti-terror personnel are guarding the International
Convention Center. Radars are scanning the air and sea to deter any subversive
attempt linked to the rogue state to the north.
North Koreans' celebrations of the nuclear and rocket tests must by now have died
down and Kim Jong-il will probably watch the Jeju summit with envy. With Beijing
and Moscow giving Pyongyang the cold shoulder following the underground nuclear
detonation on May 23, Kim must feel totally isolated. His ultimate purpose of
grabbing the attention of Washington has been half-attained as President Barack
Obama did comment on the nuclear test, but he did so with harsh condemnation of
the North's recklessness.
A closing communique from the two-day ASEAN summit is expected to contain strong
words against North Korea's belligerence, which rather helped to raise a sense of
solidarity between the host country and the ASEAN members in this time of global
economic crisis. To the leaders of nations struggling to improve their respective
economies through closer international cooperation, the poor North's pouring a
large part of its meager resources into developing weapons of mass destruction
only calls for scorn and disdain.
Korea has engaged with Southeast Asian countries through the ASEAN Plus Three
group along with Japan and China. At the Jeju summit, which marks the 20th year
of Korea's official dialogue with the ASEAN, Lee suggested drastic expansion of
trade and investment, cultural exchanges, tourism and collaboration in "green
growth" as the direction of future cooperation. He particularly stressed
personnel exchanges - invitation of technical trainees to Korea and dispatching
members of its diplomatic corps to the region.
On the atlas, South Korea looks small flanked by two giant neighbors in Northeast
Asia. Yet, we may share with the peoples of Southeast Asia our experiences of
having achieved an industrialized economy that sells many top products in the
world market and a stable democracy that peacefully rotates power. Its outreach
to the Southeast Asian region is purely for the sake of mutual interests, devoid
of any motivations to enhance political influence.
We express our appreciation to the Southeast Asian government and business
leaders taking part in the Jeju conference for their recognition of Seoul's good
intent to overcome the current difficulties through regional integration and
chart a prosperous future with practical cooperation. And we hope they will be
able to see for themselves the dire consequences of different national
orientations from the contrast on the Korean Peninsula.
(END)