The Impact of NGOs on South Korea"s Decision to Dispatch Troops to Iraq
This study focuses on how South Korea’s internal societal pressures affected the decision making process on the agenda of troop dispatch to Iraq and how it affected the alliance relationship with the United States. Ever since South Korea has matured into a democratized, civil society, there are now numerous voices on almost every issue, including the US-ROK alliance, which had previously been immune from any heated public debate. Since the early days of the previous administration, however, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have emerged as a powerful player even in the realm of foreign and security policy decision-making which had remained hidden from the public eye. It is important to pay particular attention to the activities by the Citizen’s Action against Deployment to Iraq, a coalition group of 351 NGOs established for the specific goal of influencing the government. This coalition group employed at least 17 different strategies to mobilize public support for their cause. This study ends with the conclusion that the Blue House which was wary of losing the progressives’ votes in the then-upcoming elections, missed a window of golden opportunity by refusing to cooperate with the U.S. forces in Iraq. It could have increased Roh Moo-hyun government’s bargaining power, reformulated the missions of the Korean forces and enhanced its capabilities. It is unfortunate that the US-South Korean alliance has not experienced any notable improvement despite Seoul’s dispatch of an additional 3,000-men troop to Iraq. The US-ROK alliance relationship could further deteriorate because now NGO leaders aim to make the transfer of US bases to Osan-Pyongtaek area impossible. It is high time for policymakers of the two countries and others who are concerned to maintain a high watch over the NGO’s strategies and their way of using governmental subsidies to prevent further damage to the alliance.
The Two South Koreas: A House Divided
South Korea today is bitterly divided between conservatives and the ruling coalition of progressives, who adhere to a leftist-nationalist ideology that harbors an increasingly virulent form of anti-Americanism while coddling North Korea's regime. What is its potential future?
Portable Computing in Psychiatry
Personal digital assistants (PDAs) or handheld computers have become more popular in the practice of medicine. These devices have implications for psychiatric practice, and this paper reviews various published articles describing their use. The literature demonstrates their use in document editing, patient tracking, accessing medical information and drug reference guides, prescription writing, and medical education. Security on these devices is covered, and the value and increasing implementation of PDAs in psychiatry is discussed.