South Korea's Ambassador to the U.S., Han Sung-joo, has given the current state of South Korea-U.S. relations a grade of eight on a scale of 10.

In an interview with a U.S. monthly, The Washington Diplomat, Han said that eight is still a lot better than the five or six he gave bilateral relations one year ago.

Han said that when he first arrived as Seoul's ambassador in Washington, one of his main challenges was to restore and strengthen the traditionally strong alliance between South Korea and the United States.

The June edition of the magazine quoted remarks Han made in an interview with The New York Times last year, in which he denied allegations by some people that South Korea is just a proxy of the United States.

As for the new South Korean leadership, the ambassador was quoted as saying that President Roh and his team are pragmatic, and understand there is more to reality than appearances. Despite nationalistic rhetoric, Han said, South Korea must do what is practical and in its best interests, and that begins with a strong alliance and cooperation with the United States.