MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001208 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - THOMAS HAMM DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news coverage October 7 on the 2009 Nobel Physics Prize winners, among whom one holds an honorary position at Taiwan's Academia Sinica; on the upcoming NBA preseason game in Taipei; and on the year-end city mayors' and country magistrates' elections. The pro-independence "Liberty Times" ran an exclusive news story on page five with its banner headline reading "The First One in Ten Years -- U.S. Cabinet-level Official to Visit Taiwan Next Year." ¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" discussed North Korea and the Six-Party talks. The article said the Obama administration has adopted a new approach and is letting Beijing put pressure on Pyongyang regarding the Six-Party talks. A column in the KMT-leaning "China Times" said Pyongyang will by no means return to the Six-Party talks before it holds bilateral talks with Washington. End summary. A) "Mao Anying [i.e. Mao Zedong's son who was killed in the Korean War in 1950 and buried in Pyongyang] Died with Everlasting Regret" Columnist Antonio Chiang wrote in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (10/7): "... The Bush administration adopted a tough and unyielding approach toward North Korea, which, in return, acted in a polite but perfunctory manner, giving the United States a real hard time. Now the Obama administration has altered its approach by adopting a three-no policy -- namely, showing no concern, giving no response, and assuming no responsibility [in negotiation matters]. Washington shoved the already messy and difficult situation to Beijing and asked the latter to put pressure on Pyongyang. [Chinese Premier] Wen Jiabao has brought with him a big gift [for Pyongyang], and Kim Jong Il should at least offer something in return to save Beijing's face. But North Korea is already in possession of nuclear power, and now it is already too late to ask it to renounce nuclear weapons. It is time China begins to taste the responsibility and helplessness of being a great power." B) "What Kim Jong Il Means by 'Multilateral Talks'" The "International Lookout" column in the KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 120,000] wrote (10/7): "... Kim Jong Il, to the greatest extent, has satisfied China in terms of the latter's persuasions. But Kim has a principle: Namely, by no means will Pyongyang resume the Six-Party Talks. Instead, North Korea will conduct 'multilateral talks' depending on the results of its talks with the United States. ... In fact, such a principle is akin to groping one's way -- one step at a time: First, [Pyongyang] will seek to find out the U.S. intent through the bilateral talks. If Washington is willing to compromise, then Pyongyang will drag China in ... to hold a three-sided meeting. Should the chances be high to modify and turn the cease-fire agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang into a peace treaty, then it can drag South Korea in and turn the meeting into a four-sided talk. Once such a situation is realized, and [the parties involved] decide to discuss the security mechanism in Northeast Asia, then why not include Japan and Russia to return to the Six-Party talks? ... One thing is for sure: there is no way that the United States can expect that Pyongyang will return to the Six-Party talks before the two hold bilateral talks." MADISON