PRESS BULLETIN - December 30, 2008

UNCLAS SEOUL 002487 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/K, EAP/PD, INR/EAP/K AND INR/IL/P TREASURY FOR OASIA/WINGLE USDOC FOR 4430/IEP/OPB/EAP/WGOLICKE STATE PASS USDA ELECTRONICALLY FOR FAS/ITP STATE PASS DOL/ILAB SUDHA HALEY STATE PASS USTR FOR IVES/WEISEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO PGOV PREL MARR ECON KS US SUBJECT: PRESS BULLETIN - December 30, 2008 Opinions/Editorials ¶1. "Breaking the Cycle" (JoongAng Ilbo, December 30, 2008, Page 30) ¶2. "Massive Israeli Assault on Palestinians" (Hankook Ilbo, December 30, 2008, Page 39) ¶3. "Israel Is Launching Indiscriminate Attacks for What?" (Hankyoreh Shinmun, December 30, 2008, Page 27) Features ¶4. Kim Jong-il's Leadership "Stable" (Chosun Ilbo, December 30, 2008, Page 2) ¶5. Seoul Could Buy Release of S. Koreans in North (Chosun Ilbo, December 30, 2008, Front Page) Top Headlines Chosun Ilbo National Assembly Speaker Calls for "More Dialogue," with No Progress Made in Negotiations between Rival Parties over Disputed Bills JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, All TVs Prosecutors Find an IOU Indicating That Former President Roh Moo-hyun Borrowed 1.5 Billion Won from Taekwang Industrial Chairman Park Yeon-cha, Who Has Been Indicted for Corruption Hankook Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun National Assembly Speaker Proposes: "Bills to Support People's Livelihood Should Be Passed This Year and Contentious Bills Next Year" Hankyoreh Shinmun Justice Ministry Seeks to Enhance Prosecutors' Functions to Maintain Public Peace and Order Domestic Developments ¶1. The Unification Ministry, in a Dec. 31 New Year's policy briefing to President Lee Myung-bak, will unveil its plan to provide North Korea with cash and materials in return for the release of ROK abductees and prisoners of war (POWs) still held in North Korea. (Chosun) ¶2. Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong, meanwhile, in a Dec. 29 luncheon meeting with reporters, said that North Korea's leadership is stable and that everything in North Korea is working normally. (Chosun) ¶3. The Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS), affiliated with the Foreign Ministry, predicted in a Dec. 29 report that inter-Korean dialogue would likely resume in the second half of next year. The IFANS also expect the ROK's troop deployment to Afghanistan and ratification of the KORUS FTA to be bones of contention between the ROK and the U.S. (Chosun) International News ¶1. According to a recent report by the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) at the U.S. National Defense University, Washington and Seoul are working on a measure to remove North Korea's WMD by force, unless the North gives up its WMD. (Hankook) Media Analysis Israel's Assault on Gaza The Israeli actions in and around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip continue to receive wide coverage. The ROK media reported that Israeli warplanes bombed 300 Hamas military facilities and security compounds in the region yesterday, allegedly killing at least 310 Palestinians and injuring 1,400. The reports assess that the strikes are aimed at incapacitating the symbols of Hamas power. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was widely quoted as declaring on Dec. 29: "Israel will expand its military operation in Gaza until all its goals are achieved. The operation will be 'all-out war.'" Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized: "Israel describes its strikes as retaliation for Hamas's continued rocket fire into southern Israel despite its repeated calls to stop. Even if that is the case, retaliating for rocket fire with air strikes is like responding to a slingshot with a cannon. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, with legislative elections coming up in February next year, seems to be trying to clear away the roots of Hamas through these attacks. He might reason that as long as Hamas remains, there is no chance to achieve peace in the region. However, Prime Minister Olmert must understand that the Israel-imposed economic blockade, which threatens the lives of Gaza's 1.5 million residents, strengthens support for Hamas. Israel's bombings cause rage and resentment, and spread sympathy and support for Hamas across the Middle East. Israel must abolish its policy of destruction in Gaza and let humanitarian aid into the area. These moves will surely weaken Hamas' power." Moderate Hankook Ilbo's editorial, argued: "Israel blocked the Gaza Strip, cutting the supply of living necessities to Palestinians in order to pressure the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and to check Hamas in Gaza. Accordingly, rocket fire by Hamas is nothing more than the expression of its willingness to fight against Israel and does not pose any great threat. Nevertheless, Israel launched massive retaliatory attacks against Hamas, apparently to shake off the disgrace it suffered in the fight against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in 2006 and to demonstrate its power to neighboring hostile forces." Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun stated in an editorial: "Israel does not hide its intentions to remove Hamas. Its aim is to lay the groundwork for dealing with the moderate Fatah, instead of Hamas, expecting that the Middle East peace negotiations will resume with the launch of the Palestine-friendly Barack Obama Administration. Israel also seems to calculate Hamas will refuse to concede, escalating the conflict and helping win the Obama Administration to its side. Israel's general elections next year also play a role. In short, Israel is gambling for political gains, taking the lives of innocent Palestinians hostage." North Korea Conservative Chosun Ilbo reported on its front page that the Unification Ministry is working on a plan to bring back ROK citizens abducted by North Korea and prisoners of war still held there, based on West Germany's policy of giving the East cash and materials in return for the release of political prisoners. The report went on to say that the Ministry will make the announcement in a New Year's policy briefing to President Lee Myung-bak on Dec. 31. The Chosun also quoted Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong from a Dec. 29 luncheon meeting with reporters, stating that North Korea's leadership is stable and that North Korea is working normally. Moderate Hankook Ilbo gave play to a recent report by the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) at the U.S. National Defense University, which said that Washington and Seoul are working on measures to remove North Korea's WMD by force, unless the North gives up its WMD. Opinions/Editorials "Breaking the Cycle" (JoongAng Ilbo, December 30, 2008, Page 30) "Israel describes its strikes as retaliation for Hamas's continued rocket fire into southern Israel despite its repeated calls to stop. Even so, retaliating for rocket fire with air strikes is like responding to a slingshot with a cannon. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, with legislative elections coming up in February next year, seems to be trying to clear away the roots of Hamas through these attacks. He might reason that as long as Hamas remains, there is no chance to achieve peace in the region. However, Prime Minister Olmert must understand that the Israel-imposed economic blockade, which threatens the lives of Gaza's 1.5 million residents, strengthens support for Hamas. Israel's bombings cause rage and resentment, and spread sympathy and support for Hamas across the Middle East. Israel must abolish its policy of destruction in Gaza and let humanitarian aid into the area. These moves surely would weaken Hamas' power." "Massive Israeli Assault on Palestinians" (Hankook Ilbo, December 30, 2008, Page 39) "Israel blocked the Gaza Strip, cutting the supply of living necessities to Palestinians in order to pressure the West Bank-based government, the Palestinian Authority, and to check Hamas which controls Gaza. Accordingly, rocket fire by Hamas is nothing more than the expression of its willingness to fight against Israel and does not pose any great threat. Nevertheless, Israel launched massive retaliatory attacks against Hamas, apparently to shake off its disgrace suffered in the fight against Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon in 2006 and to demonstrate its power to neighboring hostile forces." "Israel Is Launching Indiscriminate Attacks for What?" (Hankyoreh Shinmun, December 30, 2008, Page 27) "Israel does not hide its intention to remove Hamas. Its aim is to lay the groundwork for dealing with the moderate Fatah instead, expecting that Middle East peace negotiations will resume with the launch of the "Palestine-friendly" (sic) Barack Obama Administration. Israel also seems to calculate Hamas will refuse to concede, escalating the conflict and helping win the Obama Administration to its side. Israel's general elections next year also play a role. In short, Israel is gambling for political gains, taking the lives of innocent Palestinians hostage." Features Kim Jong-il's Leadership "Stable" (Chosun Ilbo, December 30, 2008, Page 2) By Reporter Ahn Yong-hyun Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong on Monday said that the North Korean leadership seems "stable." He based his opinion on a flurry of official North Korean reports showing ailing leader Kim Jong-il inspecting various sites. The Unification Minister made the remarks at a luncheon meeting with reporters on the Ministry beat, citing North Korean media reports that Kim Jong-il has engaged in public activities on 22 occasions since Oct. 4. "We should conclude that everything is normal in North Korea," he added. "In the new year, North Korea will understand our sincerity and come to the dialogue table," the minister predicted. "We'll keep calling for dialogue, no matter how much North Korea accuses us." He said that, while some experts believed the hardline North Korean military was behind the North's recent saber-rattling, "Others say that the military is not involved in external affairs yet." The minister said the government will continue to ask domestic activists to refrain from releasing anti-Communist leaflets into the North. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. Seoul Could Buy Release of S. Koreans in North (Chosun Ilbo, December 30, 2008, Front Page) By Reporter Ahn Yong-hyun Seoul is to develop a plan to bring back South Koreans abducted by North Korea and prisoners of war still languishing there. The scheme will be modeled on the former West Germany's policy of giving cash and materials to the East in return for the prisoner releases. The Unification Ministry is to make the announcement in a New Year's policy briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. The Ministry also will lay out plans to supply daily necessities to help improve the quality of North Korean life in addition to food and fertilizer aid to the North. A presidential official said, "Including the families of the abduction victims and POWs in reunion events for separated families is not a basic solution. We've asked the Unification Ministry to come up with a way to make some progress on this issue after studying the German case." Some 490 South Korean abduction victims and about 560 POWs are believed by the ROK government to be still alive in the North. The North denies their existence. From 1963 to 1989, the West German government brought about 34,000 East German political prisoners to the West in return for 3.44 billion Deutschmarks (about W1.7 trillion, US$1=W1,279). At first, Bonn gave cash but gradually replaced it with crude oil, copper, and coffee. Regarding humanitarian aid to the North, an intelligence agency official noted, "North Korea is in desperate need of daily necessities, such as sanitary napkins and soap. If we provide such goods, it will be well-received by North Korean residents." The ministry apparently plans to use various contact channels with the North to resume talks. If that happens, the government is expected to expand inter-Korean economic cooperation, including a gas pipeline from Russia. During the policy briefing, the ministry also reportedly said that it will strengthen its efforts to persuade people in order to prevent "internal conflicts in the South" over Seoul's North Korea policy from intensifying. * We have compared the English version on the website with the Korean version and added some sentences to make them identical. Stephens 1