SOUTH KOREANS' SHOCK AND GRIEF OVER THE VIRGINIA

UNCLAS SEOUL 001158

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KS
SUBJECT: SOUTH KOREANS' SHOCK AND GRIEF OVER THE VIRGINIA
TECH MASSACRE


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: From all indications, South Koreans were
shocked, saddened, and sorry about the mass murder at
Virginia Tech by South Korean national Cho Seung-hui. South
Koreans -- ranging from ordinary citizens to the President --
have expressed their condolences to the victims and their
families and even apologized for the actions of one of their
own. Post has received a number of condolence letters,
emails, and flowers. The Virginia Tech tragedy dominated the
media here this week, with some voices describing a fear of
backlash against Korea and Korean-Americans. END SUMMARY.

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KOREANS' OUTPOURING OF SYMPATHY
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2. (SBU) A number of high-ranking South Koreans have
expressed their condolences to the victims and their families
of this tragedy, including Foreign Minister Song Min-soon and
Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo. President Roh expressed
"tremendous shock and grief" at a news conference; President
Roh also issued a letter to President Bush expressing
condolences for the incident. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo
went so far as to apologize for Cho's actions, saying that
the people of South Korea were "sorry for the actions of that
person from a moral standpoint." Post received condolence
letters from former President Kim Dae-jung, GNP Chair Kang
Jae-sup, GNP presidential candidate Park Geun-hye and GNP
lawmaker Park Jin, as well as a phone call from presidential
candidate Sohn Hak-kyu. In addition, three National Assembly
members from the Uri Party, Yoo Jae-kun, Suh Hae-suk, and Lee
Eun-young, and the President of the Korea-America Friendship
Society, Amb. Park Keun, all visited the Embassy to
personally express their condolences to CDA Stanton. All of
the major political parties in Korea issued statements
expressing their condolences for the tragic incident at
Virginia Tech and expressed hope that this incident would not
develop into a bilateral issue given the nationality of the
suspect.


3. (U) The Embassy has received fourteen condolence letters
as of April 20, four bouquets of flowers, and numerous phone
calls from NGOs, individuals, and clubs. In addition, Cafe
USA, Embassy Seoul's online community, received dozens of
condolence messages from "netizens." On a tree across the
street from the chancery, a Korean created a makeshift
memorial with a "VT" logo and several black ribbons. There
was a candlelight vigil near the Chancery on April 18, and
another one is scheduled for April 21. Myeongdong Cathedral
had a special mass for the victims on April 19, and set up a
dedicated shrine for them. In addition, the Christian
Council of Korea (CCK) announced that April 19-25 would be a
Memorial Week for the Virginia Tech victims, during which it
has requested that churches and Christian organizations
across the ROK pray for the victims families. It is also
organizing a month-long fundraising period in collaboration
with the Kookmin Ilbo newspaper and other organizations.

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AMERICAN VIEW
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4. (U) The massacre, and the fact that the killer was
technically South Korean, dominated the media. (NOTE: Cho
was a legal permanent resident of the U.S. END NOTE.) After
the initial news reports, there were articles about fear of
backlash against Korean-Americans and of damage of the
bilateral relationship. However, on April 20, alongside
articles describing the content of Cho's package to NBC News,
were articles and letters to the editor from Americans who
wanted to assure Koreans that they did not blame them for
Cho's actions. The Korea Herald had a special sidebar
article of Letters to the Editor, which contained excerpts
from 12 Americans it had received. Most of the letters
expressed appreciation for the apologies, but said that they
and feelings of shame were misplaced. They recognized that
this was the act of one disturbed individual, and nationality
was irrelevant. Similarly, on April 20, the Korea Times had
a front-page article entitled, "Americans Show Understanding
Over Koreans' Backlash Worry," that quoted from several
letters and emails it had received with similar sentiment.


5. (SBU) Post received several emails from Americans
expressing the same feelings, asking Post to broadcast this
message to the Korean people. Out of 10 emails received,
only one demanded that the South Korean president should
apologize for the tragedy. In our dealings with contacts, we
have emphasized that while we appreciate the Koreans'
expressions of sympathy, we do not regard the Virginia Tech
tragedy as a Korean or a bilateral issue.
STANTON