The Personal Ties that Bind
A good test of a bilateral relationship’s durability is, of course, how long it has endured – and also how it has endured leadership changes. And, as the US-South Korea relationship shows, political leaders’ need the time and space to develop the strong personal relationships with their counterparts on which an effective foreign policy depends.
https://prosyn.org/VxM9BC2
DENVER – State visits to the United States by foreign leaders often carry a whiff of domestic American politics. The October visit of South Korea’s president was no exception. In addition to White House meetings, a formal State Dinner, a massive lunch in the State Department’s Ben Franklin Ballroom, and calls on congressional leaders, President Lee Myung-bak also addressed a joint session of Congress. Accompanied by his host, President Barack Obama, Lee also journeyed into America’s heartland to visit an auto factory in Michigan.