In Korean elections, conservatives' win boosts president

President Lee can lean on his new Assembly majority to pursue economic reforms and a tougher N. Korea policy.

from the April 10, 2008 edition

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The deal, says Mr. Lee, calls for North Korea to "agree with what the Americans said" about the uranium program as well as the Syrian facility but not to say so publicly.

Lee predicts this sort of deal will meet with criticism among conservatives here as well as in the American Congress.

"There are so many ifs and buts," he says. "I don't think President Lee will go to Washington and tell President Bush this is horrible, but he has to get an assurance from the American side that the Americans will not do a deal before the end of the year" lest Bush rush into a decision for the sake of his legacy.

Lee promises huge economic rewards for North Korea, but has angered the North Korea by conditioning the vow on the North's completely dismantling its nuclear program and returning hundreds of fishermen and Korean War prisoners. He also promises to address human rights abuses in North Korea – an issue that North Korea denies and refuses to discuss.

Lee's assembly majority means he should have no problem getting the assembly to ratify a highly controversial free trade agreement with the US. He will need conservative support, moreover, to remove one of the biggest obstacles to acceptance of the agreement by the US Congress – barriers to the import of US beef. US officials have repeatedly warned South Korea the agreement has no chance in Congress if South Korea fails to remove the barriers.

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