" (3). This arrangement inevitably led to deception on the part of the United States and frustration on the part of Korea.
The dominance issue refers to the prominent role which the United States has played in its relations with Korea from the beginning of the period studied: "Because of Korean inexperience a pattern of dominance was begun in which Korea reacted to American signals. . . ." From the outset, "Korea believed the United States to be a friend, although official American policy was decidedly equivocal (at best) toward Korea's fate" (4).
The essays are cautious, honest and realistic in their conclusions:
It is always hazardous to predict the future, but if the second century of Korean-American relations is relatively unchanged from the first, it may be prudent to suggest that the relationship will continue to be marked by a duality in which policy proceeds in two directions. And despite the growth in importance of Korea, the relationship will still be marked by the dominance of the United States (11).
The essay on diplomatic relations from the signing of the treaty in 1882 through the "absorption" of Korea by Japan in 1905 shows how difficult it was from the very beginning for Korea to establish and maintain its own identity not only with the United States but with other more dominant Asian nations. Korea sought through diplomacy to procure American protection, but the United States did so only when such a policy fit its own overall strategy in Asia. Another important difficulty is that Korea has been led by relatively few men who pursued singular goals, while the United States has been guided by numerous Presidents and agendas. Also, the leaders of the United States have always practiced cultural superiority, seeing their own society as the preferred one in terms of religion, language, etc.
The essay examining the American view emphasizes this dominance and selfishness on the part of the U
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