| Summary/Abstract |
Washington watched the rise of Moon Jae-in with concern this spring. Throughout his campaign to be the new president of South Korea, he pledged to revive the sunshine policy of engagement with North Korea, championed by former liberal presidents Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003) and Rho Moo-hyun (2003-04, 2004-08). Moon also vowed to restore economic cooperation with North Korea, which the impeached president Park Geun-hye severed in early 2016 after Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test and missile launch. Moon surprised many by remarking, “I would consider visiting Pyongyang first before Washington if elected president,” a very controversial statement, given the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
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