Compared with the influences of the Japanese ethos and Korean nationalism, the U.S. factor was less salient in shaping Park’s ideas and strategies regarding modernization. This was in part due to his personality and upbringing.
He was fluent in Japanese, not in English. And important, he suffered a “ Red complex” of his own because his name came up in connection with investigation into communist cells with the south Korean army after world War 2 U.S. military intelligence put him on its watch list throughout his military career.
The passage shows Park’s mixed of the United State and its intentions. Park was aware of the importance of U.S aid for South Korea’s prosperity and security, but he was critical of U.S. attempts to interfere in South Korean economics and political on the basis of the aid.