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SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Myung Bak has stressed the importance of being pragmatic in dealing with other countries like the US, Japan and also North Korea.
But now his foreign policy is being questioned, following the shooting of a South Korean woman in North Korea and the controversy over the disputed islets with Japan.
Times have been tough for President Lee, who has only been in office for less than six months.
What was supposed to be a fresh start for South Korea - US ties - brought about weeks of rallies in Seoul as Koreans protested the deal reached between the two leaders, allowing the resumption of US beef into South Korea.
President Lee made two public apologies to calm unrest. Experts said President Lee moved too fast to please Washington.
Moon Jung In, Professor of International Relations at Yonsei University, said: "What's important is not to be too anxious to reach deals with the US. It's like a game trying to figure out how to get support at home."
The protests have somewhat died down. But over at the Japanese embassy in Seoul, Koreans have held daily rallies after Japan on July 14 said it would include the disputed islands, known as Dokto in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, in its school textbooks.
President Lee has warned of stern measures and expressed disappointment.
South Korea's ambassador to Japan has been temporarily recalled and Foreign Minister Yu Myung Hwan has refused to meet his Japanese counterpart on the sidelines of a meeting in Singapore next week.
In addition, after a South Korean female tourist was shot to death by North Korean soldiers during her visit to Kumgang Mountain, some blamed the shooting on the President's hardline stance against North Korea.
Professor Kim Yong Hyun, North Korea Studies, Dongguk University, said: "It was an unusual security measure taken by a soldier. This action shows that the North Korean soldiers have been informed about the current standoff between South and North Korea and that has also been handed down to the soldiers of the lower-rank."
Even before the shooting, all inter-Korean contacts and exchanges were halted. And now the South Korean government has no official channel to discuss the shooting.
Some said President Lee just seems to be out of luck since he became President in February. With not just one, but several problems facing President Lee right now, many South Koreans are questioning his foreign policy and his so-called pragmatic approach in dealing with countries like the US, Japan and North Korea.
It remains to be seen how President Lee plans to overcome this crisis and whether the CEO-turned-president will be able to show that he has no intention of turning into a lame duck president. - CNA/vm
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