South Korea has earned the right to be more assertive, says a former foreign minister

“TRUST” IS MUCH touted in diplomatic speeches. But at the frontlines of diplomacy, questioning the real intentions of others is a constant part of the work, even among friendly neighbours and close allies. So it is not surprising that, as was recently revealed, the United States has not given up its habit of secretly wiretapping many of its allies, including South Korea. The safe bet would be to assume that all governments with the ability to wiretap must be doing so—not that that makes it right.In South Korea, the revelation of American wiretapping has added fuel to fiery partisan politics. The government says that trust in the United States remains intact. The opposition rightly notes that the spying constitutes a serious breach of trust. Some go further to say that the alliance has been undermined. They exaggerate, but not without grounds, as the drop in the government’s public-approval rating upon the revelation indicates.