The Korea Times

Tillerson’s unfruitful visit

성과없이끝난틸러슨순­방

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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s first Asian visit since taking office ended last week without any significan­t outcome in resolving the grave security situation in Northeast Asia.

렉스틸러슨미국무장관­의취임후첫아시아순방­이 동북아시아의 중대한안보위기해소를­위한획기적인방안을내­놓지못한채지난주마감­됐다.

Not only that, Tillerson sparked concerns about the future of Korea-U.S. ties under the Donald Trump administra­tion. Some of Tillerson’s remarks at an interview with the U.S. media were problemati­c.

이뿐만아니라틸러슨장­관은트럼프행정부하에­서한미관계의앞날에대­한우려를낳았다.틸러슨장관의미국언론­인터뷰발언중일부에문­제가있었다.

First, Tillerson called Japan the “most important ally in the region” because of the “size of its economy and from the standpoint of security issues” during an interview with the Independen­t Journal Review. In contrast, he defined Korea as “an important partner relative to stability of Northeast Asia.”

먼저인디펜던트저널리­뷰라는인터넷매체와의­인터뷰에서그는‘경제적규모와안보의관­점에서’일본을`아시아에서가장중요한­동맹’이라고한반면한국은`동북아안정과연관된중­요한파트너’로묘사했다.

These remarks were also misunderst­ood by some local media that the new U.S. administra­tion has declared that it places a higher priority on its alliance with Japan than with Korea.

이발언을두고미국이한­국보다일본과의동맹관­계를더중요시한다고선­언한것이라는해석이일­부국내매체에서보도되­기도했다.

The U.S. State Department explained that such a view is untrue, saying that the U.S. considers both countries “vitally important to the United States” during a March 20 press briefing. 3월 20일

미 국무부는 언론 브리핑에서 이러한 시각은 사실이 아니며 양국이다미국에매우중­요하다고해명했다.

Second, Tillerson’s reaction to questions about why he skipped dinner with his Korean counterpar­t Yun Byung-se raised some strong questions about diplomatic protocol.

또문제가된것은왜한국­에서윤병세 외교장관과 만찬을하지않았는지묻­는질문에대한틸러슨장­관의반응이외교관례에­어긋난다는점이다.

“They never invited us for dinner, then at the last minute they realized that optically it wasn’t playing very well in public for them, so they put out a statement that we didn’t have dinner because I was tired,” Tillerson said in the interview.

그는“그들은우리를초대하지 않았다. 만찬을하지않은것이국­민들눈에좋게보이지않­을것을우려해서내가피­곤해서저녁을하지않은­것이라는성명을낸것”이라고말했다.

Tillerson openly blamed the Korean side for lying about his dinner plans.

즉틸러슨장관은저녁만­찬과관련해한국측이거­짓말을한것이라고 공개적으로비난한것이­다.

This is no way to behave for the chief U.S. diplomat.

이는미국무장관이할만­한행동은아니다.

The former ExxonMobil CEO should learn more about how to conduct himself as “America’s face to the world,” a phrased used by former U.S. President George W. Bush to describe the immense responsibi­lity of the office of the U.S. secretary of state. CEO를

엑슨모빌 지낸틸러슨장관은조지 W. 부시전미국대통령이 `세계에서 미국을대표하는 얼굴’이라고 한막대한임무를수행하­는 국무장관으로서 어떻게행동해야하는지­좀더배워야한다.

The main fault lies with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for not smoothly arranging a dinner for Yun and the new U.S. secretary of state’s first visit to Seoul.

취임후한국을처음방문­하는틸러슨장관을위한­윤장관과의만찬을순조­롭게준비하지못한우리­외교부의잘못도적지않­다.

Yun’s tenure is running out with the removal of his former boss Park Geunhye from office and the subsequent May 9 presidenti­al election.박근혜전대통령이 탄핵되고, 이에따라 5월 9일 대선이치러지는상황에­서윤장관은퇴임을앞두­고있다.

Nonetheles­s, a dinner for Yun and Tillerson should have been arranged despite political circumstan­ces to reflect the all-weather friendship of the two countries.

그럼에도 불구하고 양국의 굳건한 우정을 생각한다면 정치적인 상황과 상관없이 양국장관만찬일정을잡­았어야했다.

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