The U.S., World Order, and South Korea's Path Forward

The necessity of replacing all public officials when a government changes was raised. In the U.S., there is a system called the 'Plum Book,' which lists public offices that are expected to change with a new administration.

Some criticize the practice of right-wing figures adhering to the previous administration's term even after a change of government, arguing that a complete personnel overhaul is essential when a new government takes office.

The government faced public criticism for its plan to implement a policy requiring bathtubs in goshiwons and has since begun reviewing it. Critics argue that this is not a policy for housing stability but rather an ivory-tower approach that fails to consider reality.

Young people, in particular, demand practical policies that help them achieve homeownership rather than installing bathtubs in goshiwons, pointing out that this policy is far removed from their expectations.

The anchor stated, "The government was preparing to propose a policy to install bathtubs in goshiwons, replacing desks, but after a surge of immense criticism, they have now entered a review phase."

It was pointed out that youth housing support policies are limited by being designed primarily for non-apartment housing. The interviewee criticized the privileged class for not taking the lead and shifting responsibility, stating, "They want their own children to live in apartments, but for other people's children, they'll offer big loans if they live in non-apartment villas or multiplexes. That's just to offload those properties, isn't it?"

Concerns arise that these policies do not provide practical opportunities for young people to build assets, especially since villas and multiplexes have significantly lower liquidity compared to apartments.

The government's unclear standard of 'broadly recognizing' reasons for non-resident single homeowners has come under fire. The interviewee stated, "They broadly recognize it. These leftists always like adverbs and adjectives. Use clear nouns or figures of speech. People need to understand. How broad is 'broadly' here?" demanding clear criteria.

Criticism was raised that if such vague exceptions are applied excessively, it could lead to administrative inefficiency and undermine policy credibility. Concerns were also expressed that policies without clear standards could turn legislation into a patchwork.

Concerns are growing as it has been confirmed that the 'Ssangyong training,' a combined ROK-US Navy and Marine Corps exercise scheduled for September, has been canceled. The anchor expressed worry, stating, "It's confirmed that the combined Navy and Marine Corps exercise has been canceled. Isn't that truly concerning? It's the exercise known as Ssangyong training."

This aligns with the recent trend of reduced and canceled combined exercises, escalating concerns about the weakening of the ROK-US combined defense posture.

Ssangyong training has been regarded as an important exercise, symbolizing the historical significance of the Marine Corps, known as 'Ghost Catching Marines,' and enhancing combined operational capabilities.

It is pointed out that the cancellation of such training could weaken deterrence against North Korea's military provocations and be perceived as a sign of cracks in the ROK-US alliance.

It was argued that the U.S. has acted not merely as a hegemonic power but as a police state leading global democracy and capitalism. Jang Seong-ho stated, "Hasn't the United States been a nation of war, annexation, and conquest? It has not simply achieved these through power and weapons, but through the value of democracy, it has expelled dictators worldwide, hasn't it?"

Historically, the U.S., while undergoing processes of war, annexation, and conquest, has played a role in expelling dictatorial regimes around the world through the universal value of democracy.

Henry Kissinger's diplomacy with China is evaluated as the best strategic choice at the time for containing the Soviet Union, but there is also a critical view that it ultimately provided an opportunity for China's growth. Jang Seong-ho commented, "At that time, Kissinger's genius diplomatic skills were the right answer. However, later on, this led to the result of nurturing China."

During the Cold War, sophisticated balance-of-power diplomacy was needed to pressure the Soviet Union, and Kissinger's 'ping-pong diplomacy' was a strategic move in this context.

However, the critical view that this strategy long-term facilitated China's military and economic growth, becoming one of the causes of today's U.S.-China conflict, cannot be ignored.

President Ronald Reagan is praised for demonstrating 'lion-like' leadership based on strong power. Jang Seong-ho explained, "President Reagan's diplomacy was characterized by powerful strength, like a lion. He accurately recognized communism not as a mere competitor but as a system threatening freedom."

Reagan defined the Soviet Union as an 'evil empire,' emphasizing the values of freedom and human rights, and exerted strong pressure on the communist system. This contrasts with Kissinger, who is characterized as a 'fox-like' leader.

It is widely believed that Reagan's strong leadership played a decisive role in the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

It was argued that an overwhelming force based on the ROK-US alliance should be prioritized over dialogue regarding the North Korean nuclear issue. Jang Seong-ho claimed, "In this situation, I don't think dialogue is meaningful. If we talk, North Korea will demand money. They already talked about 55 [missiles] with Trump recently, and the Ministry of National Defense said over 100, didn't they?" arguing that North Korea would not give up its nuclear weapons on its own and dialogue would ultimately lead to financial aid.

There are significant concerns that if South Korea pursues independent nuclear armament, it could face strong international economic sanctions due to withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Therefore, it is pointed out that a strategy is needed to build a strong national defense based on the ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty, thereby deterring North Korea's nuclear threat and ultimately inducing nuclear reduction.

Henry Kissinger's U.S.-China approach is being re-evaluated from a contemporary perspective. The host commented, "At that time, there was a thought that if Western countries engaged in exchanges, market economy flows and democracy would be introduced to China, leading to its transformation. Hasn't that thinking ultimately failed?"

The analysis suggests that the expectation that exchanges with Western countries at the time would promote China's market economy and introduce democracy, thereby transforming China, ultimately failed.

Instead, criticism is growing that this strategy aided China's military and economic rise, and skepticism about the strategy at the time is increasing within the U.S. itself.

The importance of a leading nation's role looking 20 years into the future was emphasized. Jang Seong-ho proposed, "In the AI era 20 years from now, and even now, when considering future growth engines, shouldn't we calculate and lead the world order by looking 20 years ahead?"

The argument is that strategies from 20 years ago, while effective at the time, may no longer be appropriate when considering future changes like the AI era, thus necessitating the establishment of a new international order.

An analysis of the decisive factors in the collapse of the Soviet Union was presented. Jang Seong-ho explained, "If you look at the history of dictatorial regimes worldwide, they have never collapsed on their own. They all fell due to internal contradictions and external pressure. I believe these two factors acted as a catalytic agent through their complex interaction."

He added that while Reagan's strong power diplomacy acted as a catalyst for the Soviet Union's collapse, it is important to recognize that dictatorial regimes fall when internal contradictions and external pressure interact in a complex manner.

It was argued that South Korea is at a crossroads between the ROK-US alliance and a pro-China/pro-North Korea stance, and a clear choice of direction is urgently needed. Jang Seong-ho said, "That situation arose with the Lee Jae-myung administration, but through a thorough blood alliance with the ROK-US alliance, we can solidify our security, and then for pragmatic diplomacy in foreign relations and economy, since we are an open society, there are no national barriers, are there?"

He emphasized that in a situation where the North Korean nuclear threat has materialized, the ROK-US alliance is a critical factor for South Korea's national survival, and diplomacy that pursues economic pragmatism based on solid security is necessary.

Therefore, it is suggested that South Korea must firmly establish the values of liberal democracy and a market economy, and prioritize security based on power diplomacy.

It was proposed that to ensure South Korea's survival, overcoming internal divisions like inter-South Korean conflict and firmly establishing the values of liberal democracy and a market economy are paramount. Jang Seong-ho emphasized, "Ultimately, it is the way of the world that one must protect oneself. Before that, what's important is that if there is internal division like inter-South Korean conflict, no matter how much external power is applied, it will be difficult to stand up."

Ultimately, national security and survival must be protected by oneself, meaning internal cohesion is essential.

He reiterated the ancient proverb, 'If you want peace, prepare for war,' stressing the importance of strong national defense and strengthening internal capabilities.