PRESS BULLETIN - February 10, 2009

UNCLAS SEOUL 000215 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 - February 10, 2009 Opinions/Editorials ¶1. Messages We Should Deliver to Secretary Clinton (Dong-a Ilbo, February 10, 2009, Page 31) ¶2. What Clinton Has Packed for a Visit to Seoul (Chosun Ilbo, February 10, 2009, Page 31) Top Headlines Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, All TVs, All Internet Media Prosecutors Indict 20 Protesters for Causing Last Month's Deadly Fire at Yongsan Construction Site, while Clearing Police of Any Wrongdoing JoongAng Ilbo Police Chief-Designate Kim Seok-ki Expected to Step down Today Taking Responsibility for "Yongsan Tragedy" Dong-a Ilbo EU Poised to Fine ROK Companies for Price Fixing Domestic Developments ¶1. USFK Commander Gen. Walter Sharp, in a Feb. 9 speech organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Seoul, said that the U.S. and the ROK have detailed plans to deal with any contingency situations in North Korea, including humanitarian disasters, a civil war or potential loss of control of its nuclear weapons. (JoongAng, Dong-a, Hankook, Segye, Seoul, all TVs, VoiceofPeople) ¶2. According to a USFK source, the U.S. will deploy an F-16 fleet from Japan later this month to replace a squadron of Apache attack helicopters scheduled to be relocated out of the ROK next month. (JoongAng, KBS) ¶3. It was learned yesterday that the ROKG signed a contract with a U.S. lobbying firm late last year in an effort to facilitate the U.S. Congress' ratification of the KORUS FTA. (Hankyoreh, Segye, Pressian) International News ¶1. According to diplomatic sources in Beijing, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il apparently did not have brain surgery, although he has been rumored to be seriously ill. The sources said that Wang Jiarui, Director of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, examined the North Korean leader carefully when he visited Pyongyang on Jan. 23 but that he found no telltale signs of brain surgery. (Chosun, Dong-a, Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul, all TVs) Media Analysis Secretary Clinton's Visit to Asia Conservative Chosun Ilbo's Senior Reporter Kang In-sun observed: "Secretary Hillary Clinton would not bring specific agenda items to her first visit to Asia. Instead, she would likely focus on creating an atmosphere in which other countries feel inclined to work together with a new U.S. under President Obama. After all, Obama's message is that a greater number of countries should share responsibilities and burdens in resolving issues facing the international community. In this sense, Clinton's mission during her first trip abroad as Secretary of State may be to make Asian countries feel inclined to volunteer to share such burdens." A commentary in conservative Dong-a Ilbo, meanwhile, stated: "During Secretary Clinton's upcoming visit, the ROKG should show that the vision and strategy of the Lee Myung-bak Administration's pragmatic diplomacy squares with the Obama Administration's initiative for a new world order. The ROKG should also express its willingness to actively participate in and contribute to the Obama Administration's pursuit of global co-prosperity. Still, we need to express our concern over the direct diplomacy that the Obama Administration has emphasized. Although we share the view that direct talks with enemy states may reinvigorate the process of resolving issues, we should stress the fact that if the North Korean nuclear issue is not completely resolved, it will not only bring instability to the Korean Peninsula but also shake the foundation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty." North Korea Citing diplomatic sources in Beijing, most of the ROK media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il apparently did not have brain surgery, although he has been rumored to be seriously ill. The sources were quoted as saying that Wang Jiarui, Director of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, examined the North Korean leader carefully when he visited Pyongyang on Jan. 23 but that he found no telltale signs of brain surgery. KBS TV gave attention to remarks in Seoul by a group of U.S. experts, who recently visited North Korea: "The Chief North Korean Delegate to the Six-Party Talks, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, stressed that everything has changed since North Korea conducted a nuclear test in October, 2006 and that North Korea should be recognized as a de facto nuclear power." USFK Commander Gen. Walter Sharp was widely quoted as saying in a Feb. 9 speech organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Seoul: "The U.S. and the ROK have detailed plans to deal with any contingency situations in North Korea, including humanitarian disasters, a civil war or potential loss of control of its nuclear weapons." Opinions/Editorials Messages We Should Deliver to Secretary Clinton (Dong-a Ilbo, February 10, 2009, Page 31) By Hong Gyu-duck, Dean of Social Sciences at Sookmyung Women's University New U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Seoul will become a very important event that will determine the future of the ROK and the U.S. Particularly because the visit comes amid a series of threats from the North, it is all the more valuable. With global attention focused on Secretary Clinton's every move, the ROK foreign and security team should go beyond a simple exchange of greetings and give Secretary Clinton a strong impression about what the ROK's strategic position is. Seoul should set out a long-term vision for the ROK-U.S. alliance. Although President Lee Myung-bak and former U.S. President George W. Bush proclaimed the ROK-U.S. strategic alliance for the twenty-first century during the Camp David summit last April, there have been no specific discussions about how to develop such an alliance. The U.S. is curious about what contributions the ROK can make to the strategic alliance. If the U.S. can talk the ROK into making any possible contributions to the alliance during Secretary Clinton's upcoming visit, the U.S. would consider the visit a success. It is the duty of the Blue House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to flesh out the near-blank concept of the strategic alliance and come up with actions plans. However, they should never be in a hurry. It is more important to lay out our strategic vision and express our determination than to make specific promises. We just need to show our confidence and imagination in dealing with the North Korean issue and the international security situation. As far as the manner in which messages to Secretary Clinton should be delivered, the briefer, the better. Seoul only needs to assure Secretary Clinton that the ROK is strategically beneficial to the foreign policy of the Barack Obama Administration, and convey its concern over flaws in the former Bush Administration's North Korea policy. While showing Secretary Clinton that the vision and strategy of Lee Myung-bak Administration's pragmatic diplomacy coincides with Obama Administration's initiative for a new world order, the ROKG should also express its willingness to actively participate in and contribute to the Obama Administration's pursuit of global co-prosperity. Still, we need to express our concern over the direct diplomacy that Obama Administration has emphasized. Although we share the view that direct talks with enemy states may reinvigorate the process of resolving issues, we should stress the fact that if the North Korean nuclear issue is not completely resolved, it will not only bring instability to the Korean Peninsula but also break down the foundation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The ROKG should also point out that although it fully cooperated with the U.S. to use the same language in foreign policy dealings, Washington's approach toward the North strayed away from principle in the waning days of the Bush Administration. We should also clearly indicate how the U.S. made concessions from its original stance after agreeing to the three principles set by President Lee at the ROK-U.S. summit - the verification process must be full, complete and satisfactory - and point to the dangerous results produced from Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill's accommodating approach. Seoul should point out that direct diplomacy with Pyongyang is against the principle. Some Democratic Party officials whom I recently met in Washington held the view that they must not be deceived by the North twice. They forecast that Secretary Clinton's North Korea policy may not be as progressive as expected. Especially, North Korea's offensive and missile threat against the South is warning the U.S. Government and people against an incautious approach toward the North. It is noteworthy that President Obama's first action was to impose economic sanctions against North Korea and that Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey, who tightened North Korea's financial transactions at Banco Delta Asia, will stay in office. In this regard, while cautioning against the optimistic elements within the Obama Administration, the ROKG should present a comprehensive long-term vision of the development and reconstruction of North Korea and persuade (Washington) that denuclearization of North Korea should not be subject to compromise. What Clinton Has Packed for a Visit to Seoul (Chosun Ilbo, February 10, 2009, Page 31) Late last year when U.S. Senators John Kerry and Hillary Clinton were mentioned as a candidate for the next Secretary of State, a U.S. columnist said Clinton is more qualified. By his reasoning, Kerry would be in the list of top ten senators with whom you would not want to have tea. Meanwhile, Clinton would recognize any one she met before (even) a long time ago and engage in a heated debate over diverse subjects. Hillary Clinton possesses unyielding tenacity allowing her even to go through the daunting task of engaging in Middle East peace talks for six months. Furthermore, she holds firm control over the organization and thus is unlikely to (lose control over foreign policy-making such as)the former Secretary of State Powell's loss of control to former Vice President Cheney. What is more important is Clinton's international popularity. She is a well-known figure who was almost destined to become America's first female president in history. Also, as a First Lady and Senator, she visited more than 80 countries, garnering great attention. She is more suited than anyone to restore U.S. image damaged during the Bush Administration. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary will visit ROK on Feb. 19 and 20. She is scheduled to have a luncheon meeting with President Lee Myung-bak. Also, she is aiming to meet female dignitaries. A traditional venue for the first overseas visit by the U.S. State Secretary was Europe or Middle East, but Clinton chose Asia. What kind of agenda items did Obama have placed in Clinton's suitcase? Officially, the items include global financial crisis and climate change. An article Obama contributed in 2007 to Foreign Affairs, an influential journal on foreign policy, sheds light on his approach. Obama said he would establish a more effective frame in Asia. He calls for a comprehensive mechanism capable of dealing with issues from terrorism in Philippines to bird flu in Indonesia, beyond bilateral talks, occasional summit talks or a temporary frame of the Six-Party Talks. Of course, in her first visit to ROK, Clinton will not bring such specific agendas. Instead, her more important goal would be to foster an atmosphere where Asian countries are encouraged to work together with a new U.S. under President Obama. Vice President Joseph Biden flew to Europe this month and delivered Obama's favorably-received message, "It is time to press the reset button." Biden told European countries, its old allies, that the U.S. would call for more active participation from its partners. What Obama, Biden and Hillary Clinton stress repeatedly is agreement and cooperation from the international community. They view it as a priority to soothe the international society that has been fed up with President Bush's unilateralism and remains aloof to the U.S. The Obama Administration is not different from the Bush Administration in terms of its pursuit of displaying strong U.S. leadership, but it also vows to take the leadership through institutions, frameworks and international organizations. Clinton, an entrenched politician, puts emphasis on the political side of diplomacy. If the U.S intends to recover its tainted leadership by strengthening alliance, having dialogue with antagonistic forces and handling any defiant forces properly, she thinks that foreign affairs should involve 'political skills'. Obama's message is that ultimately a greater number of countries should share responsibilities and burdens in resolving issues of the international society. In this sense, Obama's diplomacy would require U.S. allies to share more complex and heavier burdens than before. Hillary Clinton's first mission may be to somehow make Asian countries willing to volunteer themselves to share such burdens. Stephens 1