By Lee Sun-ho
A gala luncheon forum held at the Westin Josun Seoul Hotel grand ballroom on March 25, organized by the Island Resort The Heaven and co-sponsored by the Far East Broadcasting Company and the Korea Peace Foundation, was an invaluable opportunity for me to listen to a lecture entitled, "Current International Affairs and the ROK-U.S. Alliance." The invited lecturer was Michael Pence (Republican), the 48th U.S. vice president under former President Donald Trump.
The timing of his visit to Korea was curious, I thought, because it was during the two-month transitional interval of Korea's president from Moon Jae-in of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea to Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition conservative People Power Party, following the presidential election on March 9.
Turning to the international front, Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine initiated by autocratic Russian President Vladimir Putin has lasted already over one month since its outbreak on February 24. Threats from North Korea, which has consistently tested missiles eight times during the first quarter of 2022, including the latest suspected first Hwasong-17 ICBM on March 24 (the day before the Pence lecture), breaking its self-imposed moratorium, aiming not only at South Korea but also at the United States, whose troops have been stationed at Camp Humphreys and elsewhere in South Korea.
At the forum Pence stressed the importance of freedom, peace, security and human rights in the global village against North Korea's bellicose provocations, Russia's illegal new Cold War invasion of Ukraine, and China's ambitions of invading Taiwan, as Putin has attempted for over a month now on Ukraine.
Pence's impressive faith could be felt when he condemned Russia's savage aggression on Ukraine and supported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's undaunted fighting spirit. Pence visited the Poland-Ukrainian border on March 9, and examined the ongoing situation in which Ukrainians, with unbroken resolve, were bracing for the barbaric Russian invasion, making almost 10 million Ukrainian refugees flee to five neighboring countries other than Belarus and Russia.
These unfortunate Ukrainian asylum seekers are now having to escape from their war-ravaged hometowns, even though the demoralized Russian soldiers leading the assault didn't appear too motivated, as Putin's unpopular war crimes have continued and worsened.
The lecturer's vision for Korea was encouraging for me to hear. Pence argued that North Korea's capabilities are on the brink of various limitations. Pence reiterated the significance of the 69-year-old ROK-U.S. military alliance "forged in blood." Furthermore, he predicted a prosperous future path for South Korea, anticipating an upgraded and enlarged pivotal role and functions for it in Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
As shown by Russia's reckless acts of destruction in Ukraine, I am concerned about the possibility that Xi in China might do the same as Putin (whom Pence met as the U.S. vice president), not only to Taiwan but also to the Korean peninsula ― the North first and then the South. How terribly the inhabitants of the enemy-occupied regions would suffer in such a case, due to the use of digital weapons.
I was fortunate to be persuaded in person by the U.S. ex-vice president's firm conviction regarding the importance of humanitarian efforts and peaceful strategies for humanity at-large. By extending my sense of gratitude to the hosting sponsors of the forum, on their warm hospitality of inviting me, as one of around 300 honored guests to the meaningful Pence lecture program, I wish good luck and blessings to the lecturer couple, Karen and Mike Pence, and mature steps in the foreseeable years to come.
The writer (wkexim@naver.com) is a freelance columnist living in Seoul.
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The timing of his visit to Korea was curious, I thought, because it was during the two-month transitional interval of Korea's president from Moon Jae-in of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea to Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition conservative People Power Party, following the presidential election on March 9.
Turning to the international front, Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine initiated by autocratic Russian President Vladimir Putin has lasted already over one month since its outbreak on February 24. Threats from North Korea, which has consistently tested missiles eight times during the first quarter of 2022, including the latest suspected first Hwasong-17 ICBM on March 24 (the day before the Pence lecture), breaking its self-imposed moratorium, aiming not only at South Korea but also at the United States, whose troops have been stationed at Camp Humphreys and elsewhere in South Korea.
At the forum Pence stressed the importance of freedom, peace, security and human rights in the global village against North Korea's bellicose provocations, Russia's illegal new Cold War invasion of Ukraine, and China's ambitions of invading Taiwan, as Putin has attempted for over a month now on Ukraine.
Pence's impressive faith could be felt when he condemned Russia's savage aggression on Ukraine and supported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's undaunted fighting spirit. Pence visited the Poland-Ukrainian border on March 9, and examined the ongoing situation in which Ukrainians, with unbroken resolve, were bracing for the barbaric Russian invasion, making almost 10 million Ukrainian refugees flee to five neighboring countries other than Belarus and Russia.
These unfortunate Ukrainian asylum seekers are now having to escape from their war-ravaged hometowns, even though the demoralized Russian soldiers leading the assault didn't appear too motivated, as Putin's unpopular war crimes have continued and worsened.
The lecturer's vision for Korea was encouraging for me to hear. Pence argued that North Korea's capabilities are on the brink of various limitations. Pence reiterated the significance of the 69-year-old ROK-U.S. military alliance "forged in blood." Furthermore, he predicted a prosperous future path for South Korea, anticipating an upgraded and enlarged pivotal role and functions for it in Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
As shown by Russia's reckless acts of destruction in Ukraine, I am concerned about the possibility that Xi in China might do the same as Putin (whom Pence met as the U.S. vice president), not only to Taiwan but also to the Korean peninsula ― the North first and then the South. How terribly the inhabitants of the enemy-occupied regions would suffer in such a case, due to the use of digital weapons.
I was fortunate to be persuaded in person by the U.S. ex-vice president's firm conviction regarding the importance of humanitarian efforts and peaceful strategies for humanity at-large. By extending my sense of gratitude to the hosting sponsors of the forum, on their warm hospitality of inviting me, as one of around 300 honored guests to the meaningful Pence lecture program, I wish good luck and blessings to the lecturer couple, Karen and Mike Pence, and mature steps in the foreseeable years to come.
The writer (wkexim@naver.com) is a freelance columnist living in Seoul.
