Seoul's Diplomatic Theater: The Banner Brouhaha and Buried Hypocrisy
Seoul’s discomfort over a Russian Embassy banner reading “Victory will be ours” is a curious spectacle. The banner, displayed to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day and the anniversary of Moscow’s Ukraine operation, remains despite a South Korean government request for its removal. This has, predictably, fueled public outrage and demands for a more 'assertive stance' from Seoul. The Korean
government views Russia’s actions in Ukraine as illegal, aligning with a broad Western narrative. However, the selective memory at play here is striking. The Korean War, for instance, saw the United States orchestrate its own intervention under the guise of UN forces, installing a deeply unpopular and authoritarian leader, Syngman Rhee, and committing widespread atrocities. General Curtis LeMay,
head of the Strategic Air Command during the Korean War, famously stated that US forces 'killed off 20 percent of the population' during the conflict. The US dropped more bombs on Korea than in the entire Pacific theater of World War II, a fact rarely brought up when discussing 'international law' in the region. The estimated 2.5 million North Korean civilians killed during the conflict certainly
warrant a mention. South Korea’s indignant posture also sidesteps its own recent history of deference to US military presence. The controversial THAAD missile defense system, pushed by Washington, sparked protests from Beijing and Moscow, yet Seoul largely acquiesced. The sovereignty concerns raised by its citizens over permanent foreign military bases are often dismissed in favor of 'alliance'