New leader brings hope to the Korean Peninsula

Park Geun-hye, the new president-elect of the Republic of Korea, has the opportunity to handle relations with her country's neighbors well, despite the obvious challenges. If she can find the right direction to a stable Northeast Asia, the opportunities can finally be turned into concrete progress in ROK diplomacy, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

Compared with the ROK's ties with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Japan, Seoul's relationship with China is one of the most positive heritages that Park Geun-hye will inherit from her predecessors. The mutual beneficial cooperation between the ROK and China indicates deepening cooperation is the only choice for the ROK because one of the main tasks of the new government is economic recovery.

Intense people-to-people contacts between China and the ROK effectively deepen mutual understanding and mutual trust.

Both sides need to learn to think about each other's stance when it comes to the changing situations on the Korean Peninsula. China is willing to care for the ROK's strategic concerns. In return, the ROK needs to accurately understand China's diplomatic policies as an influential big country. Whenever something important happens in the peninsula, China has played and will continue to play a constructive role to maintain regional peace and stability, which is in line with the national interests of the ROK.

China is happy with the report that the ROK's new leader regards Sino-ROK relations as important as US-ROK ties. The healthy development of Sino-ROK relations can effectively guarantee the regional peace and stability of East Asia, especially when the right-wing activists of Japan are seeking to amend the pacifist constitution of that country and increase Japan's military power.

A calm review on the development of situations on the Korean Peninsula suggests wise people can reach a consensus on how to maintain peace and stability there.

In her presidential election campaign, Park said she is willing to relieve the military confrontations on the peninsula through dialogue, especially the Six-Party Talks. If she keeps her word, the ROK will bring new hope to the peninsula.