MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000219 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: NORTH KOREA Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to focus February 26 news coverage on the debate between the ruling and opposition parties over whether Taiwan should sign a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with China; and on the on-going investigation into the corruption case against former President Chen Shui-bian and his family. In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" discussed North Korea's relations with the United States and said it seems quite obvious that Pyongyang wants to dominate the situation on the Korean Peninsula. End summary. "North Korea Wants to Dominate the Situation on the Korean Peninsula" The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (2/26): "Pyongyang said what it is about to launch is an artificial satellite, but other countries such as Japan and South Korea say North Korea plans to launch a long-range ballistic missile. Nothing has really happened yet, but the international community has grown anxious about [the situation on the Korean Peninsula]. It seems quite obvious that everything happening on the Korean Peninsula is dancing to the tune of North Korea, and that Pyongyang has full control [of the situation on the peninsula]. ... [North Korean Leader] Kim Jong Il ..., in contrast, adopted a proactive strategy by deploying a battle formation first and then awaiting [U.S. President Barack] Obama's reaction. [North Korea] started by sending out a series of war threats to South Korea, followed by declarations that it is about to launch satellites or long-range missiles, just one step short of [announcing that it will] carry out a nuclear test explosion. Pyongyang's plan was to seek to define its nuclear policy first -- namely, there is no way it will compromise [on the nuclear issue], and that it will not hesitate in any way to retain its status as a nation in possession of nuclear weapons. ... "Kim Jong Il ... basically does not trust the United States, as any commitment the United States makes with other countries will likely be changed overnight, and things like communiques can be regarded as waste paper. There have been too many such precedents, which also happened between China and the United States. Given Pyongyang's strength, it will be nothing if it does not hold the nuclear weapons card tightly in its hand; joint forces from the United States, Japan and South Korea will be able to choke it to death easily. ..." WANG