The president is dealing with a nuclear neighbour, lawsuits, sagging approval ratings and the emergence of the opposition party.

Mario Canseco

When Roh Moo-hyun was elected president on Dec. 19, 2002 as the candidate of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), the honeymoon was expected to last for at least a year. Taking over from Nobel laureate Kim Dae-Jung, Roh looked to preserve existing policies and oversee South Korea's development in the international stage.

The first six months of Roh's tenure have brought unexpected challenges, which have affected what was supposed to be a smooth period of adjustment. The top issue for South Koreans is the problematic relationship with the North, affected even more after Pyongyang's alleged nuclear program came to light.

Diplomacy between the North and South has been jittery since the end of the Korean War. A one-mile demilitarized zone separates the countries since 1953, and the presence of American troops in South Korea is always a source of heated argument.

Former president Kim envisioned the "Sunshine Policy" to promote interaction between the two nations, by permitting families to be reunited, separating business practices from politics, and allowing humanitarian and agricultural aid to stream from the South to the North.

South Koreans originally warmed up to the idea of closer ties, but the recent nuclear allegations filled many with unease. Last April, 61.1 per cent of respondents to a poll by the Research Center on Social Development at Seoul National University rejected the idea of any type of aid to North Korea.

Tomorrow, a series of negotiations regarding nuclear development will begin, including North and South Korea, as well as Japan, China, the United States and Russia. Earlier this month, as the talks loomed closer, 60.9 per cent of respondents to an East Asian Institute survey published in Joong Ang Daily agreed with the use of the "Sunshine Policy."

Some think the current state of affairs is not enough. Last week, South Korean authorities stopped an effort by human rights activists, who tried to send small radios to North Korea through the use of balloons. The colorful protest aimed to expose citizens of the communist country to the outside world.

Roh knows a thing or two about protests. His political career began in the renowned 1987 pro-democracy demonstrations, and his activism landed him in jail for a while. Still, after 180 days in office, more than half of all respondents to the Joong Ang survey believe the president is doing a bad job.

The sudden drop is attributed to Roh's $2.54 million U.S. libel lawsuit, filed against a politician from the rival Grand National Party (GNP) and four newspapers. The controversy began last May, when Kim Moon-soo accused Roh of concealing real estate properties by registering them under the name of his brother. The president rejected the allegations, but after weeks of conflictive statements, the issue refused to go away.

Earlier this month, Roh took legal action against the GNP lawmaker, as well as daily newspapers Chosun, Joong Ang, Dong-a and Hankook, the South Korean media outlets that published stories about his alleged wrongdoings. The dispute is founded on what the president's legal team describes as "baseless allegations."

As the lawsuit finds its way through the South Korean judicial system, the public was not amused by Roh's political gamble. 58.6 per cent of respondents to the Joong Ang survey disagree with the president's decision to prosecute. Roh's setbacks have also meant a jump in support for the opposition Grand Nationals, who now hold a 1.2 per cent lead over the MDP in head-to-head voting intention polls.

This week's talks were expected to define the future of security and cooperation in the peninsula. Roh will seek to capitalize on the negotiations to reposition himself as an effective, popular politician.

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