The emotional pendulum swings in Korea are mesmerizing -- and predictable. First there was the euphoria triggered by last month's historic summit between the two Korean leaders. Then there was the inevitable reaction as more sober heads pointed out the difficulties that lie ahead: continuing talks to decrease tension, demilitarizing the Korean Peninsula, and absorbing the tremendous cost of reunification. The cycle will be repeated as tangible results trickle in.

The headlines tell only half the story. The summit was historic, but it was not a break with history. Attitudes in South Korea have been changing for some time. People are looking at the world through a different lens these days. According to a recent study by the Rand Corporation, the influential U.S. think tank, South Koreans are "beginning to move beyond both the historical and Cold War legacies in their thinking about Korea's long-term security."*

South Korea's new outlook is wide, encompassing the North, its own allies across the Pacific and its neighbor Japan. Understanding this evolution is as important as the summit itself.