The premier Anglophone Korea blog, the Marmot’s Hole, recently carried an extensive debate about South Korea-PRC tensions over Kim Jong Il’s visit. The long comments thread is absolutely worth a read, as a Huanqiu Shibao editorial comes into greater focus.
While the Marmot’s debate was informative — among other things, I learned that Huanqiu Shibao [ 环球时报] is called 환구시보 in Korean– no one, as usual, seems to have bothered to understand the Chinese position via a translation of the editorial at issue. So that’s my job for the day insofar as this blog is concerned. If anyone has the time or motivation to tackle the 860 Chinese netizen comments on the story, please be my guest!
“韩召见中国大使施压金正日访华 专家批韩干涉中朝关系 South Korea Summons Chinese Ambassador to Pressure [Over] Kim Jong Il Visit to China; Specialists Criticize South Korea for Interfering With Sino-DPRK Relations,” Huanqiu Shibao, May 5, 2010.
环球网5月5日消息，韩国媒体最近非常关注朝鲜最高领导人金正日访华问题，并猜测他已经到了中国。与此同时，韩国当局也相信这是事实，并因此对中国的外交政策“指手画脚”，甚至通过约见中国驻韩大使的方式向中国施加压力。对此，中国的朝鲜问题专家在接受环球网采访时表示，韩国这样做显然是对中国存在误解，在朝鲜领导人访华问题上指责中国没有道理。As reported on the Huanqiu website on May 5, South Korean media have recently been very concerned about the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s visit to China, and speculate that he has already arrived in China. And, at the same time, South Korean authorities also believe that this is true, and consequently “criticize [指手画脚]” China’s foreign policy with gestures, going so far as to meet with the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea to put pressure on China. In response, Chinese experts on the North Korea issue accepted an invitation to an online interview with Huanqiu Shibao, stating that South Korea clearly misunderstands China, and accusations over the issue of North Korean leader’s visit to China have no justification.
韩国《中央日报》5月5日发表了题为“金正日访华导致韩中战略伙伴关系出现裂痕“的文章，称因朝鲜国防委员长金正日闪电访华而遭到“背叛”的韩国政府和执政党公开对中国提出指责，掀起了一场外交战。文章称，韩国外交通商部的第一次官申珏秀5月3日召见了中国驻韩大使张鑫森，转达了韩国政府对金正日委员长访华的立场并对此施加压力。On May 5, South Korean “JoongAng Ilbo” published an article entitled “Kim Jong Il’s visit to China Shows Cracks in the ROK-PRC Strategic Partnership,” stating that North Korean Defense Committee Chairman Kim Jong Il’s “lightning visit” to China was itself a “betrayal [背叛]” of the South Korean government, leading to open accusations of China by the ruling party, setting off a diplomatic war. The article said that on May 3, the South Korean Foreign Minister Shin Kak-soo [申珏秀] summoned the Chinese ambassador Zhang Xinsen [张鑫森] to convey the South Korean government’s position on Kim’s visit to China, and apply pressure.
韩国政府就特定悬案召见中国大使是非常罕见的事情。 For the South Korean government to summon the Chinese Ambassador on specific pending cases is a very rare thing.
[The rest of this translation is pending!]
See also: PRC Foreign Ministry Statement on ROK-PRC Relations, May 17, 2010.
Adam Cathcart 