FLASHBACK: President Bill Clinton ends first G7 trip with troop visit in South Korea. (July 1993)

[jefferson_dem]

This is one image from a cool TNR slideshow that looks back on various American presidents' inaugural transatlantic trips. Ah...the Big Dawg in his glory days...16 years ago! I wonder what kind of photo ops we'll get from President Obama this trip.

http://www.tnr.com/gallery/popup.html?topic=presidents+abroad&g=0&p=1


In July 1993, Bill Clinton attended the G-7 Summit in Tokyo and jammed with American troops at Camp Casey in South Korea.

July 12, 1993
Clinton Ends Asia Trip at Korea's Demilitarized Zone
By GWEN IFILL,

Seeking to underscore the economic and security concerns that now define the relationship between the United States and its Pacific allies, President Clinton ended a six-day trip to Asia today by visiting one of the most menacing vestiges of the cold war -- the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.

Mr. Clinton's visit to Japan and South Korea, which revolved around last week's meeting of the leaders of the seven richest industrialized democracies, was part economics primer and part military maneuver for a President who won election by emphasizing his country's domestic needs.

Mr. Clinton used the occasion to address some of the 36,000 American troops stationed in South Korea in a speech intended to build the President's stature by demonstrating through words and pictures that he can be an able Commander in Chief even though he never served in uniform. Tough Talk and a Saxophone

He courted the soldiers with tough talk about American security and patriotism, and then performed an impromptu riff on a saxophone borrowed from a member of the Army band. He drew his biggest cheer when he mentioned his decision last month to order a missile attack on Iraq in retaliation for what the White House said was a plot to assassinate President Bush.

President Clinton's two-day visit to South Korea was devoted almost entirely to demonstrating to Seoul and Tokyo that Washington was committed to stopping North Korea from building nuclear weapons.

"When you examine the nature of the American security commitment to Korea, to Japan, to this region, it is pointless for them to try to develop nuclear weapons," Mr. Clinton said today. "Because if they ever use them, it would be the end of their country."

In several speeches during his trip, Mr. Clinton has talked about the creation of a new Pacific community that will link American economic and security interests. The Administration has offered no specifics on this proposal, but it seems to be aimed, at least in part, at building a bridge of good intentions between Asia and North America and the European Community. Tough Stance on Nuclear Treaty

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http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/12/world/clinton-ends-asia-trip-at-korea-s-demilitarized-zone.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/U/United%20States%20International%20Relations&pagewanted=print