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PacNet #27 – The ROK-US Summit: why beat a dead horse when you can move mountains?

President Barack Obama’s decision to stop in Seoul during his upcoming visit to Asia is wise given the toxic air surrounding Japan-Korea relations, fueled in part by vitriolic verbal volleys between leaders of these two countries. Not only does the visit send the right signals to its two most important allies in the region about US commitment and priorities but it also provides an opportunity to recalibrate those allies’ foreign policy efforts on issues that can yield more measurable results.