SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; November 18, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 SEOUL 001832 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; November 18, 2009 TOP HEADLINES -------------- Chosun Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, All TVs ROK to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions 30 Percent by 2020 JoongAng Ilbo U.S., China Hide Differences and Voice Cooperation Hankook Ilbo U.S., China Urge N. Korea to Promptly Return to Six-Party Talks Hankyoreh Shinmun Lee Myung-bak Administration's Race to Implement Policy Causes Confusion and Conflict DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS -------------- President Barack Obama will arrive in Seoul today for a summit meeting tomorrow with President Lee Myung-bak. The two leaders are expected to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue and the KORUS FTA, among other things. (All) Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, in a Nov. 17 regular briefing, said that the ROKG is considering setting up an independent military base in the Afghan province of Parwan, north of the capital Kabul, when it sends troops there to protect ROK civilian aid workers. (All) INTERNATIONAL NEWS -------------- President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed on Nov. 17 to cooperate on a host of global issues from climate change to North Korea. (All) President Obama said during a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart: "We agreed on resuming the Six-Party Talks process as soon as possible. North Korea has a choice between further isolation and provocation or becoming a full part of the international community, which can give a better life to its people." (All) According to a Japanese weekly magazine, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is seeking to visit North Korea next month to resolve the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents. (Hankook) MEDIA ANALYSIS -------------- -President Obama's Asia Trip -------------- All ROK media covered yesterday's summit meeting in Beijing between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, reporting that the two leaders agreed to continue with the stalled Six-Party Talks and urged North Korea to promptly return to the multilateral talks. Most coverage highlighted President Obama's statement during a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart: "We agreed on resuming the Six-Party Talks process as soon as possible." The media also observed that the two leaders remained divided over key issues, including human rights, trade, and climate change. Newspapers carried the following headlines: "Obama, Hu Jintao: Same Bed, Different Dreams ... They Show Differences on Every Major Issue" (conservative Chosun Ilbo); "U.S., China Hide Differences and Voice Cooperation; Obama Mentions N. Korea's Isolation In Case of SEOUL 00001832 002 OF 005 Provocation, While Hu Jintao Stresses Resolution Through Dialogue" (right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo); "Obama Indirectly Presses for Yuan's Appreciation... Hu Jintao Remains Silent" (conservative Dong-a Ilbo); and "U.S., China in General Harmony on Security and Economic Issues... but Out of Sync on Sensitive Issues, including Currency Exchange Rates" (moderate Hankook Ilbo) Conservative Dong-a Ilbo editorialized: "President Obama has launched earnest efforts to establish a strategic cooperative relationship with China, a nation which will emerge as the world's largest economy in the near future. This U.S.-China summit is part of these efforts. ... At tomorrow's summit, the leaders of the ROK and the U.S. should come up with specific measures to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table and present them to Six-Party nations, including China. We need to make President Obama, who will visit Seoul for the first time, aware that the North Korean nuclear issue is more urgent than the Iranian issue. With Washington's China-focused policy, the strengthening of the ROK-U.S. alliance has become more desperately needed." Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun wrote in an editorial: "This (U.S.-China) summit leaves something to be desired. ... The two leaders agreed to work toward an accord at next month's UN-backed climate change talks in Copenhagen which will have immediate operational effect, but reiterated their previous positions in terms of details. Furthermore, Chinese President Hu Jintao, while stressing cooperation on macroeconomic policies, made no mention of the yuan peg to a weakening dollar, an issue which has been the focus of great attention." OPINIONS/EDITORIALS -------------- KOREA MUST BE READY FOR THE NEW WORLD ORDER (Chosun Ilbo, November 18, 2009, Page 39) The meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jin-tao in Beijing was an opportunity to signal the beginning a new world order led by China and the U.S. During his four-day visit, Obama stressed that Beijing was a "powerful partner" in U.S. efforts to deal with global challenges. "A strong and prosperous China can be the source of strength for the international community and the United States will not seal China off," he said. Even on the issue of Tibetan independence, Obama practically sided with China by saying, "We recognize that Tibet is part of the People's Republic of China." Gone are criticisms of Beijing's human rights abuses which previous U.S. presidents made during their visits to China. The U.S. and China both avoided any unpleasantness. "China's partnership has helped the United States pull out of the worst recession in a generation," Obama said. The U.S. recorded a $1.4 trillion deficit over the last year starting in September of 2008, while the accumulated fiscal deficit amounts to 80 percent of its GDP. The U.S. government must continue issuing Treasury Bills in order to run the country. China is America's largest creditor owning $800 billion worth of U.S. Treasury notes. The U.S. is no longer in a position to tell China what to do. The North Korean nuclear standoff was the first issue where agreement was announced at the post-summit press conference. "We agreed on the importance of resuming the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible," Obama said. "Both of us remain committed to resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and consultation," Hu said. "Such a commitment serves the common interests of China and the United States and all other parties concerned." Matters concerning the Korean Peninsula will become staple items on the agenda of future U.S.-China talks. Both countries have deep interests on the peninsula. In July, the U.S. government even proposed strategic talks with China to deal with sudden and SEOUL 00001832 003 OF 005 unexpected changes happening in North Korea. The North Korean nuclear problem, Korean reunification and other issues will be discussed between Washington and Beijing and that will to a large extent determine how the international community acts. There is no guarantee that the solutions offered either independently or jointly by the U.S. and China will always be in line with South Korea's interests and plans. As a new era dawns, Seoul's diplomatic strategies must change. It is time to go beyond the single-track approach and come up with a multi-layered plan. (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) U.S., CHINA SHOULD EXERT MORE PROACTIVE EFFORTS ON GLOBAL ISSUES (Hankyoreh Shinmun, November 18, 2009, Page 31) U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao had a summit in Beijing yesterday and agreed to cooperate on a broad range of issues from macroeconomic matters to space development. Based on the shared view that a healthy improvement in bilateral relations is important not only for the two nations but also for world peace and safety, the two leaders decided to work together to resolve the global economic crisis, achieve success at the UN climate change conference, and deter nuclear proliferation. It is meaningful that the U.S., as the world's superpower, and China, which is emerging as one of the G2 nations with the U.S., have agreed to expand their cooperation on global pending issues. Especially noteworthy at the U.S.-China summit were discussions about the nuclear issue. The two leaders decided to fall into step with each other over the resolution of the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues. Instead of taking a lukewarm attitude to the Iranian nuclear issue as he has always done, Chinese President Hu said this time that it is very important for the international community to uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and properly resolve the Iran nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation. It seems that China made significant headway in resolving the Iranian nuclear issue. The two presidents also took similar positions on the North Korean nuclear issue. In a joint statement, both leaders called for an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks, repeatedly emphasizing the need to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully. President Hu said, "Both of us remain committed to resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and consultation," adding, "Such a commitment serves the common interests of China and the U.S. and all other parties concerned." Now, it is the North's turn to respond to the two leaders' commitment. Moreover, not only North Korea but also the ROK should shy away from a confrontational posture and actively engage in dialogue in order to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. This (U.S.-China) summit leaves something to be desired given the international status of the two countries. They made little progress on pending issues such as the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and the yuan's appreciation. The two leaders agreed to work toward an accord at next month's UN-backed climate change talks in Copenhagen which will have immediate operational effect, but reiterated their previous positions in terms of details. Furthermore, Chinese President Hu Jintao, while stressing cooperation on macroeconomic policies, made no mention of the yuan peg to a weakening dollar, an issue which has been the focus of great attention. Even though they are tricky issues, China should have shown a more responsible attitude since it has great influence on the world. U.S.-CHINA HONEYMOON PERIOD; ROK-U.S. ALLIANCE SHOULD BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED (Dong-a Ilbo, November 18, page 35) U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in Seoul today following his SEOUL 00001832 004 OF 005 trip to Japan and China. President Obama is using his first tour of Asia as an opportunity to reshape the ROK-U.S., U.S.-China, and U.S.-Japan relations and proclaim the U.S.' Asia policy. Obama billed himself as "America's first Pacific president," vowing to strengthen political, economic and military cooperation with Asian countries. He emphasizes mutual cooperation (with Asia),steering away from unilateral diplomacy and is extending his hand to Asia. This Asia-centered policy may spark a change to the ROK's diplomatic approach. Most of all, we desperately need to respond actively to a change in the international order, which will likely be triggered by a "special relationship" between the U.S. and China. The U.S. and China mark 30 years of diplomatic ties this year. It appears that President Obama put more emphasis on his visit to China than his trip to the ROK and Japan, which are the U.S.'s traditional allies. Obama stayed in China for three days, longer than his two-day itineraries in the ROK and Japan. With the full-blown G2 era looming ahead, he particularly concentrated on making coordination with China. It seems that the U.S.-China summit also yielded good results. During yesterday's press conference, President Obama stressed the need to cooperate with China to tackle challenges such as climate change, nuclear nonproliferation and economic recovery. Chinese President Hu Jintao said in response that both countries agreed to address global challenges as a partner. President Obama intends to use U.S.-China cooperation as a driving force to develop bilateral relations and resolve global issues. At the first U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue in Washington in July, the U.S. already unveiled its strategies to resolve global pending issues through cooperation with Beijing. President Obama has launched earnest efforts to establish a strategic cooperative partnership with China, a nation which will emerge as the world's largest economy in the near future. This U.S.-China summit is part of these efforts. It is noteworthy that the leaders of the U.S. and China approached the North Korean nuclear issue from the aspect of nuclear nonproliferation. They gave almost similar attention to the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues. Chinese President Hu Jintao stressed, "We should move ahead with the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the Six-Party process," adding that like the Iranian nuclear issue, the North Korean nuclear issue should also be "resolved through dialogue and negotiations." However, China is probably well aware that there is a limit to dialogue and negotiations in dealing with North Korea. At tomorrow's summit, the leaders of the ROK and the U.S. should come up with specific measures to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table and present them to Six-Party nations, including China. We need to make President Obama, who will visit Seoul for the first time, aware that the North Korean nuclear issue is more urgent than the Iranian issue. With Washington's China-focused policy, the strengthening of the ROK-U.S. alliance has become more desperately needed. FEATURES -------------- "OBAMA EFFECT" SOOTHES LIBERAL GROUPS IN KOREA (Dong-a Ilbo, November 18, 2009, Page 3) By Reporter Yoon Wan-joon Korean liberals have had a much milder response to the Seoul visit of U.S. President Barack Obama than toward those of his predecessors. The Allied Conference of Civic Groups Opposing Redeployment of Troops to Afghanistan will hold an anti-war candlelight vigil today in downtown Seoul opposing the redeployment of Korean troops to Afghanistan and urging a stop to the U.S.-led occupation of the war-torn country. The Conference is a gathering of 60 civic groups, including the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and Korean Solidarity for Social Progress. SEOUL 00001832 005 OF 005 A member of People's Solidarity said, "We will demand that the U.S. not pressure Korea to send troops to Afghanistan. We are not completely against Obama's visit to Korea." Yet it is unlikely that the civic groups will hold a protest against Obama while he visits Seoul, in stark contrast to the fierce demonstration they held when his predecessor, George W. Bush, came in August last year. Analysts say the launch of the Obama Administration has dramatically increased Korean affection for the U.S. Anti-American sentiment, which peaked with rallies against U.S. beef imports in the spring of last year, has decreased significantly. In July, the Washington-based Pew Research Center surveyed 702 adults, aged 18 and older, in 25 countries, and found that 78 percent of Koreans view the U.S. favorably, the third highest following Kenya, the birth country of Obama's father, and Nigeria. Korean affection for the U.S. had steadily decreased from 58 percent in 2000 to 52 percent in 2002 and further to 46 percent in 2003. Two reasons explain the improvement in the Korean view of the U.S. First is the election of Obama as President. Koreans recognize the power of an American democracy that elected its first African-American chief executive. This is a reflection of international support for Obama's smart diplomacy of using dialogue and cooperation. In 2002, opposition mounted against the Bush Administration's use of unilateral diplomacy. Whenever incidents, such as the deaths of two high school girls at the hands of the U.S. military, occurred, anti-U.S. sentiment erupted. Liberal groups in Korea, however, have not ignored the meaning of Obama's election and his policies. University of North Korean Studies professor Gu Gap-woo said, "Perceptions are changing in a way that there is no reason to hate the U.S. if U.S. policies are reasonable. Liberal groups also have raised expectations of the Obama Administration's policies." The second reason, according to experts, is liberal groups this time simply lack a sufficient reason to trigger anti-American sentiment or cause and logical grounds for attacks, but their deep-rooted hatred of the U.S. remains. The left-leaning Korean group National Liberty, whose existence is based on anti-Americanism, has apparently lost a clear target with the launch of the Obama Administration. "Anti-American sentiment that sees the U.S. as a persecutor in modern Korean history has not gone away, though the Korean impression of the U.S. has grown more positive," Seoul National University professor Jeon Sang-in said. "A friendly environment should be created among Koreans and Americans through public diplomacy that goes beyond elite-oriented Korean-U.S. exchanges." (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) STEPHENS