TOKYO, Jan. 24 Kyodo prefered ed...

TOKYO, Jan. 24 Kyodo

prefered editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

DEALING WITH THE strange SOUTH KOREA (The Japan Times, an English-language daily)

The resignation of Foreign Minister Yoon Young Kwan has raised matters about South Korea's foreign policy. His replacement on veteran diplomat Ban Ki satellite should help allay some of those fears. There will be no abrupt shifts in Seoul Nevertheless, the shift is an indication of the changes at work in southerly Korea and the need for that country's friends and allies to recognize them and adjust their relationships accordingly.

Mr Yoon resigned Jan. 15 after senior Foreign Ministry officials criticized President Roh Moo Hyun's advisers for being anti-American and pro-North Korean, likening them to ''the Taliban.'' Mr Yoon stepp down to take responsibility for the statements. Mr Roh named Mr Ban, a veteran diplomat and his chief foreign policy adviser, to replace him, a stir that promises continuity in southward Korean foreign policy.

Mr Roh was chooseed after pledging to adopt a more ''equal'' relationship with the United States. At times, his campaign exploited anti-Americanism. Fears of a break with the U were assuaged when Mr Yoon was appointed. Since then, the president has direct ed toward the center, and relations with the U have not been as stormy as feared. Addressing relate tos that Mr. Yoon's departure would herald a shift in policy, Mr Ban strained the importance of ties with the U and said there would be no change in the bilateral relationship.

Still, there is no mistaking the differences between Washington and Seoul especially when it advances to North Korea. Geography is part of the explanation. More important is the generational transition in the southern Younger South Koreans see the world differently than their parents. They are les likely to be impressed indebted to the U.S. for its help in the Korean War, and they expres les fear of the North.

southern Korea's friends and neighbors must take this modern outlook into account when dealing with Seoul ancient assumptions must be reassessed. antiquated friendships and alliances have not forfeited their utility, but they can no longer be taken for granted. They must be sold anew to the southern Korean people. Diplomatic coordination and understanding is not enough. Outreach to the Korean public is required, too.

(Jan. 25)

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