PRESS BULLETIN - February 23, 2009

UNCLAS SEOUL 000269 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 23, 2009 Opinions/Editorials ¶1. Alliance Reaffirmed (JoongAng Ilbo, February 21, 2009, Page 26) ¶2. Effects of Sino-U.S. Relations (JoongAng Ilbo, February 23, 2009, Page 30) ¶3. Clinton Says, "The U.S. and the ROK Agree on North Korean Issue" (Chosun Ilbo, February 21, 2009, Page 27) ¶4. Pyongyang Should Not Dare to Ignore Clinton's Message (Dong-a Ilbo, February 21, 2009, Page 27) ¶5. Urgent Need for a Comprehensive Approach to N. Korea (Hankyoreh Shinmun, February 21, 2009, Page 23) ¶6. A Positive Start for Clinton's Brand of Diplomacy (Hankyoreh Shinmun, February 23, 2009, Page 27) ¶7. North Korea Should Listen Carefully to Warnings from the ROK and the U.S. (Hankook Ilbo, February 21, 2009, Page 31) Features ¶8. Clinton Casts Doubts about a North Uranium Program (JoongAng Daily, February 23, 2009, Page 2) ¶9. Clinton Downplays N. Korean Succession Issue (Korea Times, February 21, 2009, Page 2) ¶10. Clinton Stresses Women's Role (Korea Times, February 21, 2009, Page 2) ¶11. Clinton Urges North Korea to Halt Threats (Korea Times, February 21, 2009, Front Page) ¶12. S. Koreans Blame North for Strained Relations (Chosun Ilbo, February 23, 2009, Page 4) Top Headlines Chosun Ilbo Child Sex Crimes on the Increase JoongAng Ilbo Firms Focus on Survival This Year; With Increasingly Grim Forecasts, Companies Tighten Up the Purse Strings Dong-a Ilbo Dong-a Ilbo Campaign to Help Relieve Household Debts Hankook Ilbo ROKG's Youth Internship Program, Designed to Ease Youth Unemployment, Reduces Highly Educated University Graduates to "Part-timers" Hankyoreh Shinmun Schools Suspected of Preventing Student Athletes from Taking Last October's Nationwide Scholastic Ability Test to Improve Their Academic Performance Level Segye Ilbo Asia to Expand Currency Swap Pool to $120 Billion Seoul Shinmun Representatives of Labor, Management and the Government Provisionally Agree to "Freeze Wages in Return for Job Protection" Domestic Developments ¶1. According to a Feb. 21 opinion survey by Gallup Korea to mark the first anniversary of President Lee Myung-bak's inauguration, 33 percent of those polled said that the Lee Administration is doing well in managing state affairs, with 54 percent saying it is not. Furthermore, 63 percent said that North Korea is to blame for strained relations between the two Koreas, and 56 percent favored economic aid to the North if the communist state gives up its nuclear ambitions. (Chosun) ¶2. North Korea continued its harsh rhetoric toward the ROK on Feb. 21, with its Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, which handles inter-Korean relations, warning that the North would settle accounts with the Lee Myung-bak Administration through the most merciless and resolute measure." (Chosun, Dong-a, Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul) This is a stark contrast to the North's silence on Secretary of State Clinton's remarks in Seoul regarding its uncertain leadership situation, a taboo subject in the North. (Chosun) ¶3. Seoul City said yesterday that it had found more than 16,000 square meters of area contaminated by oil leaked from four U.S. military bases in Seoul. (JoongAng, Dong-a, Hankook, Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul, all TVs, VoiceofPeople) International News ¶1. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a Feb. 20 interview with Fox News, said that North Korea's alleged highly enriched uranium (HEU) program should not be an obstacle to disabling the North's nuclear facilities, a remark seen as indicating that the Obama Administration would focus on the North's plutonium-based nuclear program, rather than the HEU issue. (Hankook, KBS) ¶2. During Secretary Clinton's visit to China on Feb. 21, the U.S. and China reaffirmed the importance of the Six-Party Talks in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue. (Hankyoreh) Media Analysis Secretary Clinton in Asia Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to the ROK received wide coverage today and over the weekend. Most of the ROK media positively evaluated Secretary Clinton's first overseas trip to Asia, with conservative Dong-a Ilbo, in particular, hailing it as the "First Successful Step of Clinton-Style Diplomacy." The ROK media highlighted Secretary Clinton's statement during a Feb. 20 press conference with ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan: "North Korea is not going to get a different relationship with the U.S. while insulting and refusing dialogue with the ROK," and interpreted this as reaffirming the two allies' "united" front vis-`-vis North Korea and clarifying Washington's position that North Korea's strategy of bypassing the ROK while communicating with the U.S. will have no effect. Secretary Clinton was further quoted as saying: "(The U.S.) has no plans yet to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il." The ROK media also noted that Secretary Clinton was noncommittal about sensitive bilateral issues, including Seoul's troop deployment to Afghanistan. Regarding Secretary Clinton's comments on the "uncertainty" of North Korea's succession prospects, conservative Chosun Ilbo's headline read: "Clinton Just Says What She Has to Say." Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo headlined its story: "Clinton's Remarks Represent the Position of the U.S. State Department." Moderate Hankook Ilbo wrote in the headline: "U.S. Media Sees Clinton's Comments as Calculated Remarks and Not a Slip of the Tongue." Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shimun, meanwhile, said: "Clinton Signals that Washington is Ready to Start Dialogue with Pyongyang." Moderate Hankook Ilbo and state-run KBS TV noted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks during a Feb. 20 interview with Fox News, in which she said that North Korea's alleged highly enriched uranium (HEU) program should not be an obstacle to disabling the North's nuclear facilities. The media viewed this statement as indicating that the Obama Administration would focus on the North's plutonium-based nuclear program, rather than the HEU issue. -Editorial Comments Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized (02/21): "The biggest accomplishment of Clinton's visit to the ROK is that she emphasized that the ROK and the U.S. could work together on dealing with North Korea, despite the recent change of U.S. administration. Another accomplishment is that the ROK and the U.S. jointly sent a strong warning to Pyongyang about future provocations that threaten regional security. It is also notable that Clinton and Foreign Minister Yu addressed concerns that the U.S. may have actually acknowledged that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons. They said it is not acceptable under any circumstances for the North to possess a nuclear arsenal, and confirmed that both countries (ROK and the U.S.) want denuclearization in a complete and verifiable manner through the Six-Party Talks." Conservative Dong-a Ilbo editorialized (02/21): "At the same time, the ROK and the U.S. are extending an opportunity to North Korea. Secretary Clinton has already expressed willingness to normalize U.S.-North Korea ties on the premise that the North is prepared to abandon its nuclear programs. Secretary Clinton's announcement of Stephen Bosworth as U.S. Envoy to North Korea can be seen as a gesture of dialogue. The ROK Unification Ministry also said yesterday, "(We are) willing to meet and talk with North Korea's responsible officials anytime, anywhere, on any agenda and in any form. The choice to preserve the possibility of normalizing U.S.-North Korea ties and the possibility of dialogue is up to North Korea. North Korea must face up to the reality and stop playing the provocation card." Conservative Chosun Ilbo editorialized (02/21): "Secretary Clinton demonstrated 'smart power' diplomacy espoused by the Obama Administration during her visit to the ROK. Smart power diplomacy is a combination of hard power, such as military force, and the soft power of winning the hearts of the other. This U.S. effort - to show that the U.S. is not a 'heavy-handed country'- should not be a one-time event but should continue broadly (be a continual effort.) " Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized (02/21): "Secretary Clinton's public comments on the North's succession may be interpreted as the U.S.' call for the country to stop stoking crisis internationally with its internal troubles and to come to the negotiating table in a responsible manner. Secretary Clinton, at a press conference yesterday, said, 'Our goal is to address the North's incumbent government and bring the current leadership back to the negotiating table at the Six-Party Talks.' The North should rationally accept the world's perception of itself, and make a wise decision. The North should stop its preparations for a missile launch and come to the dialogue table." Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized (02/23): With power emanating from her (political) career, Secretary Clinton was not bound by protocol but expanded her contact with the general public of the host nations. It was an effort to win back the support of foreign nations, which had turned their back on the Bush Administration's unilateralism. As a result, Secretary Clinton's diplomacy seems to have gotten off to a positive start for now." Opinions/Editorials Alliance Reaffirmed (JoongAng Ilbo, February 21, 2009, Page 26) If North Korea had plans to widen the gap between Korea and the United States with the start of a new U.S. administration, it had better give up the idea soon. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who visited Seoul on her first overseas trip since her appointment, sent a clear message. North Korea's "Talk with the U.S., isolate the South" plan to exclude South Korea and talk only with the United States is an empty dream. At the press conference right after the Korea-U.S. ministerial talks yesterday, she clearly said, "North Korea cannot gain a different relationship with the United States by rejecting and criticizing South Korea." The biggest accomplishment of Clinton's visit to Korea is that she emphasized that Korea and the United States could work together on dealing with North Korea, despite the recent change of U.S. administration. Clinton and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan agreed that North Korea's rejection of talks with South Korea is an act that raises tension and helps to destabilize the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. In relation to Pyongyang's threats of a long-range ballistic missile launch, Clinton insisted the missile launch preparations be stopped, citing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718. She then stressed, "We ask the North Korean government to stop provocative and unhelpful words and actions." Another accomplishment is that Korea and the United States jointly sent a strong warning to Pyongyang about future provocations that threaten regional security. It is also notable that Clinton and Yu addressed concerns that the United States may have actually acknowledged that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons. They said it is not acceptable under any circumstances for the North to possess a nuclear arsenal and confirmed that both countries (U.S. and ROK) want denuclearization in a complete and verifiable manner through the Six-Party Talks." Along with an existing policy to develop the Korea-U.S. alliance as a global strategic alliance, the two countries resolved to cooperate on global issues such as the financial crisis and climate change. It's inevitable at this point that in-depth talks on Afghanistan and the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement are not feasible. It's now up to working-level diplomats from both countries to look at the details of the various issues now that Clinton has reaffirmed the importance of the Korea-U.S. relationship. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. Effects of Sino-U.S. Relations (JoongAng Ilbo, February 23, 2009, Page 30) United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to China paved the way for the two nations to share their views on forging a new partnership. In a series of meetings with Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao, Clinton emphasized the necessity of improving bilateral cooperation across their two societies, dealing with issues such as the economic crisis and climate change. The Chinese side responded positively, saying there is a growing need to take bilateral relations to a higher plane. There has been some concern that the launch of the Obama Administration in the U.S. may hamper the development of Sino-American relations because the U.S. might try to push for an improvement in human rights in China. The U.S. has also raised questions about China's policy of exchange rate manipulation. But on this trip, Clinton left such sensitive issues until next time. Instead, she flattered China, extending thanks to the country for having confidence in U.S. bonds. Of course, the Bush Administration forged a limited alliance with China. Meanwhile, as the world's most populous country is a potential threat to U.S. strategic interests in the region, Washington has pressured China via strengthened alliances with Japan and Korea. Hence, China maintained close military ties with Russia and was reluctant to intensify its pressure on North Korea in the Six-Party Talks. However, the Obama Administration takes a different stance. Clinton clarified her position during the presidential election, stressing the importance of her country's relations with China. She emphasized China's role as a responsible stakeholder in Asia. Therefore, the establishment of cooperative Sino-U.S. relations may cause a fundamental change in how existing international issues such as the Six-Party Talks are addressed. Against this backdrop, the Korean government should make no mistakes in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the changing aspects of Sino-U.S. relations, taking our complicated position into consideration. We are faced with a nuclear-armed North Korea, and should recognize China's growing predominance in relation to America's strategic flexibility. Emergency measures should be devised in advance to respond to possible emergency situations - for instance, if Sino-American relations are derailed. First and foremost, cautious diplomatic measures should be prepared to strengthen our alliance with the U.S. and to prevent conflicts of interest with China. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. Clinton Says, "The U.S. and the ROK Agree on North Korean Issue." (Chosun Ilbo, February 21, 2009, Page 27) Secretary Clinton had a joint press conference on Feb. 20 with Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan after the senior diplomatic meeting. She said, "The U.S. and the ROK couldn't agree more on the North Korean issue than on any other subject." She noted that the North would not achieve a different relationship with the U.S. by refusing to talk with and criticizing the ROK." Secretary Clinton added, "The most urgent task in the North Korean nuclear issue is to disable the North's nuclear arsenal. Our goal is to deliver on agreements in a verifiable way. Regarding the North's movement to launch a long-distance missile, she said, "North Korea should stop all related activities including its preparations for a ballistic missile launch under the UN Security Council Resolution," urging the North "to discontinue provocative and unhelpful words and actions." After Democratic candidate Barack Obama scored a victory in the presidential election in November 2008, the North resorted to the scheme of 'having direct talks with the U.S. while bypassing the ROK." The North is calling on dialogue with the U.S., while making outbursts of criticism against the ROK and employing military threats. However, Clinton responded that "the U.S. and ROK agree on the North Korean issue." She put a deterrent on the North's ploy to sideline the ROK. Secretary Clinton clarified the U.S.' willingness to hold talks with North Korea. She said, "The U.S. is seeking ways to get our partner North Korea back to the Six-Party Talks.", calling North Korea 'a dialogue partner'. She made sure that out of two roads of dialogue and provocation that lie ahead for North Korea to choose, dialogue would lead to normalization of the U.S. and North Korea ties, while provocation would lead to deeper isolation and sanction. Shortly before her visit to Korea, Secretary Clinton said, "The U.S. is worried that the North may face its succession crisis in the near future." At the press conference, she noted, "We should take everything into consideration when we establish a contingency plan." This remark shows that the U.S. is mindful of a post-Kim Jong-il era. The ROK and the U.S. should not move separately but strategize and react in cooperative ways. Secretary Clinton demonstrated 'smart power' diplomacy championed by the Obama Administration during her visit to the ROK. Smart power diplomacy is a combination of hard power, such as military power with a soft power ability to win over the other side. Secretary Clinton said, "The late Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan was a spiritual leader of the Koreans and the entire world." She gave a lecture at Ewha Womans University and met with women leaders. This effort to show that the U.S. is not a 'heavy-handed country' should not be a one-time event but (should) continue broadly. Pyongyang Should Not Dare to Ignore Clinton's Message (Dong-a Ilbo, February 21, 2009, Page 27) Through U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Seoul, the ROK and the U.S. demonstrated their close cooperation on the North Korean issue to the whole world. Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan reaffirmed their zero tolerance policy on North Korea's nuclear programs and urged Pyongyang to stop its ballistic missile activities. The two nations declared that they will overcome subtle differences on North Korean issues and move together toward the same goal. Now that the Lee Myung-bak Administration and the newly-inaugurated Obama Administration have coordinated their stances at an early date, their bilateral cooperation for a future-oriented alliance is expected to gain speed. Since Secretary Clinton clarified North Korea policy during her tour of Japan, the ROK and China, multilateral cooperation among Six-Party nations will be revitalized. North Korea should take the message from the ROK and the U.S. seriously. It has become clear that there is no room for North Korea's attempts to isolate the South and engage only the U.S. in order to drive a wedge between the ROK and the U.S. Pyongyang's scheme to renege on its promise of nuclear abandonment will not work. The ROK and the U.S. have clearly warned that North Korea's preparations for a long-range missile launch violate UN Security Council 1718. At the same time, the ROK and the U.S. are still extending an opportunity to North Korea. Secretary Clinton has already expressed willingness to normalize the U.S.-North Korea relations on the premise that North Korea is prepared to abandon its nuclear weapons programs. As a gesture of dialogue, she also announced in Seoul that she named Stephen Bosworth as the U.S. envoy to North Korea nuclear talks. The Ministry of Unification also said yesterday, "(We are) willing to meet and talk with North Korea's responsible officials anytime, anywhere, on any agenda and in any form." The choice to preserve the possibility of normalizing U.S.-North Korea ties and the possibility of dialogue is up to North Korea. North Korea must face up to reality and stop playing the provocation card. Secretary Clinton even expressed her will to begin discussions about preparations for a post-Kim Jong-il era by mentioning uncertainty in the North Korean leadership, which has been considered a taboo subject. Chairman of the National Defense Committee of North Korea Kim Jong-il should remember that if he throws a monkey wrench into the ROK-U.S. cooperation, it will bring disaster and shock to the North Korean regime. Urgent Need for a Comprehensive Approach to N. Korea (Hankyoreh Shinmun, February 21, 2009, Page 23) At a press conference with her South Korean counterpart yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said envoy Stephen Bosworth will be responsible for overseeing North Korea policy, including dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea. She said she and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-whan would be discussing the best way to make progress in the Six-Party Talks. The process of building a concrete framework for the U.S. and South Korea to approach North Korea has begun. It was right for the two foreign ministers to reaffirm their goal of the complete and verifiable abandonment of North Korea's nuclear programs through the Six-Party Talks. Many people already agree that the best way to do that will be for Pyongyang and Washington to normalize ties and for there to be a peace treaty between the two, and to simultaneously seek to provide energy and economic aid to the North, in what is being referred to as a "comprehensive approach." It will be critical to have concrete plans and to develop the conditions for negotiations. That Clinton repeatedly expressed concern about North Korea's preparations for a missile launch during her visit shows that she understands the urgent need to reestablish policy on North Korea. Seoul and Washington need to make these talks a stepping-stone towards picking up the pace of a resolution of the issue. It looked desperate for our government in Seoul to have made inter-Korean relations a major topic of the discussions with Clinton. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said it is North Korea that is refusing to engage the South in dialogue, but a great deal of the responsibility for the way relations have deteriorated lies with the Lee Myung-bak Administration for essentially ignoring the October 4 and June 15 declarations. Inter-Korean relations are not going to improve by themselves just because Clinton said that Pyongyang is not going to be able to have a different kind of relationship with the U.S. by refusing to talk to and criticizing Seoul. If the Lee Administration has any desire to improve inter-Korean relations, it is urgent that it make a clear change in its approach to Pyongyang instead of depending on the U.S. for better relations. On her way to Korea, Clinton inappropriately mentioned the issue of succession in North Korea and the possibility of an internal power struggle there. If Pyongyang interprets her comments to mean she does not regard the current government there seriously, it could become a new obstacle in resuming the Six-Party process. It was also problematic for our government to have hastily announced that it is going to expand reconstruction support for Afghanistan to include the training of police officers. Important foreign policies should be explained to the Korean public first, and the government should seek the country's agreement before announcing it to other countries. We hope that North Korea, for its part, makes an accurate reading of the way things are going, and that it behaves wisely. It must not let this rare opportunity simply idle away. It needs to realize that test firing a missile would do nothing other than create unnecessary tension. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. A Positive Start for Clinton's Brand of Diplomacy (Hankyoreh Shinmun, February 23, 2009, Page 27) U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is returning home after a tour of East Asia, the region she chose as her first stage after being sworn in. She defined the trip to Korea, China, Japan and Indonesia as a "listening tour." The implication is that the Obama Administration wants to create a new, multi-party cooperative diplomatic order, one in which it listens to the views of other countries, instead of forcing its own. Indeed, Clinton did not bring up any issues that would make the countries she visited uncomfortable, and instead focused on placating concerns about the new U.S. administration. An example of this would be the issue of Chinese human rights. Instead of bringing it up with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other policymakers, she met with representatives of human rights groups. It was a decision that took into consideration how she had strongly criticized the human rights situation there at a women's conference in Beijing in 1995. Hu sang her praises, saying her visit demonstrated that America values Asia, and promised to work together with the United States on the global economic crisis and climate change. Clinton sought to ease concerns about the Obama Administration's North Korea policy in Japan and South Korea by making Japan the first stop on her visit and, while in Seoul, by warning North Korea against its so-called tong mi bong nam approach, that of "opening up to the Americans and closing to the South." While she did issue repeated warnings to the North about its missile launch preparations, she still said the door for dialogue remains open and made it clear the United States wants to speed up the pace for improving relations between Pyongyang and Washington. With power emanating from her (political) career, Secretary Clinton was not bound by protocol but expanded her contact with the general public of the host nations. It was an effort to win back the support of foreign nations, which had turned their back on the Bush Administration's unilateralism. As a result, Secretary Clinton's diplomacy seems to have gotten off to a positive start for now. However, setting aside the differences and expanding ties of commonality is not going to be easy. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, so there exists the possibility that human rights are again going to be at the center stage of Sino-American relations. Narrowing differences and building peace and stability in the region will require the cooperation of not only the United States, but also that of South Korea, China and Japan. Let us create a new model for multi-party cooperation in Asia on the occasion of the arrival of a new U.S. administration. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. North Korea Should Listen Carefully to Warnings from the ROK and the U.S. (Hankook Ilbo, February 21, 2009, Page 31) At a joint press conference yesterday following a meeting with Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, U.S. Secretary Clinton said, "The U.S. and the ROK couldn't agree more on the North Korean issue than any other subjects." She noted that the North would not achieve a different relationship with the U.S. by refusing to talk with and criticizing the ROK. This remark quells concerns over a discrepancy in concerted efforts by the ROK and the U.S. on their North Korean policies. The concerns have been raised since the beginning of the Obama Administration, but the recent remark puts a halt on the North's attempt to have direct talks with the U.S. while bypassing the ROK. It is noteworthy that the ROK and the U.S. reaffirmed their solid cooperation on the North Korean policy in the first senior diplomatic meeting since the inauguration of the new U.S. Administration. Yu and Clinton's call for the North to stop provocative actions such as its preparations for a missile launch and to come back to the negotiating table is based on mutual understanding. North Korea should not ignore warnings against its movement to launch a Taepo-dong 2 missile. Yu remarked that "Even though the North insists on launching a satellite, not a missile, this is a blatant violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1718. Secretary Clinton said clearly, "All related activities including a ballistic missile launch should be stopped under the UN Security Council." Clinton's public concern about the North's succession needs to be heeded. She said, "The U.S. is worried that the North may face a crisis over the succession of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il." If North Korean leadership is enraged about such a comment on the sensitive succession issue, there is a possibility that a bid to bring the North to a negotiating table may backfire. However, things may play out differently, given that Clinton apparently made the remark intentionally and the U.S. State Department spokesman regarded it as an official view of the U.S. government. Secretary Clinton did not hide the perception that the North's missile threat and its belligerent move were not irrelevant to its internal power struggle. Secretary Clinton's public comment on the North's succession issue may be interpreted as the U.S.' call for the country to stop stoking crisis internationally with its internal power struggle and come back to the negotiating table in a responsible manner. In a statement supporting this view, Secretary Clinton, at the press conference yesterday, said, "Our goal is to address the North's incumbent government and bring the current leadership back to the negotiating table at the Six-Party Talks." The North should rationally accept the world's perception of itself and make a wise decision. It is not desirable for the North to heighten tensions by contending that it is only a matter of time before the ROK and North Korea will see physical conflicts, as the official North Korean Central News Agency reported. North Korea should stop preparations for a missile launch and go ahead with talks. Features Clinton Casts Doubts about a North Uranium Program (JoongAng Daily, February 23, 2009, Page 2) By Reporter Brian Lee Her statements disagree with U.S. intelligence officials. Striking a different tone from American intelligence officials, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cast doubts on the existence of North Korea's purported highly enriched uranium program, in what some observers here believe is an indication of Washington's changing priorities in talks on denuclearizing the reclusive country. When referring to the suspected program in an interview with U.S. network Fox News on Friday, Clinton said, "I think that there is a sense, among many who have studied this, that there may be some program somewhere, but no one can point to any specific location nor can they point to any specific outcome of whatever might have gone on, if anything did." She added, "I don't have any doubt that they would try whatever they possibly could. Have they? I don't know that and nobody else does either." Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea specialist at Dongguk University, said that the remarks by the secretary marked a sharp departure from past positions taken by an American administration. "There was only circumstantial evidence but never any conclusive evidence regarding the uranium enrichment program, and from a practical point of view (Clinton) is opting not to bring the issue to the forefront," he said. "Washington is also keen on focusing on the plutonium-based nuclear program, which is a current issue, not a future one." Washington raised suspicions over an alleged highly enriched uranium program in a meeting with North Korean officials in 2002. The result was the collapse of the 1994 Agreed Framework that had averted the first nuclear crisis. Regarding the intelligence that led Washington to confront the North Koreans about the program, top U.S. intelligence officials have said they were confident that North Korea was trying to operate an enrichment program at the time, and are moderately sure such efforts still continue today. Based on such intelligence, the Bush Administration embarked on an initial policy path of pressuring North Korea, but eventually reversed itself to engage in the Six-Party Talks. When the Bush Administration came to power, it criticized the Bill Clinton Administration for striking a deal it viewed as having too many loopholes and rewarding the North Koreans for bad behavior. Secretary Clinton has made no s-e-c-r-e-t of her displeasure with the Bush Administration's scrapping of the 1994 Agreed Framework that was formed under her husband's administration saying that doing so only allowed Pyongyang to produce more plutonium and conduct its first nuclear test in 2006. "She also wants to finish what her husband started, so this is a subtle message to the North that the past should not stand in the way of the future. The HEU program is the past," said Koh. In the final days of the Clinton Administration, dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington raised hopes that ties between the two could be normalized, but all such efforts ended with Bush coming into office. Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University pointed out that Clinton's remark reflected Washington's willingness to engage Pyongyang, as President Barack Obama has promised from the beginning of his tenure. "Pyongyang has probably dissected every word that she said while she was here and will soon come out with an answer," said Koh. "Washington is in the course of devising its policy direction on North Korea and what she is saying now can be interpreted as precursors of what's to come." Controversy still surrounds the alleged 2002 admission about an HEU program by the North's First Vice Minister Kang Sok-ju to a U.S. delegation. Pyongyang officially denied ever having made such a statement. In her maiden trip to Seoul, Secretary Clinton reaffirmed the alliance with South Korea and warned Pyongyang about any activities that may threaten security here, but that was expected considering the host country. Her real message may have been what she didn't say in the official press conference. Clinton Downplays N. Korean Succession Issue (Korea Times, February 21, 2009, Page 2) By Reporter Kim Sue-young The issue regarding North Korea's succession has been a major concern since its leader, Kim Jong-il, allegedly suffered two strokes last year. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had broached the sensitive issue but downplayed concerns over a possible abrupt transition in the North Korean leadership, Friday. "This is not some kind of classified matter that is not being discussed in many circles... When you are thinking about the future dealings with a government that doesn't have any clear succession ? they (the North Koreans) don't have a vice president, they don't have a prime minister ? then it is something you have to think about," she said in a joint press conference following talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan in Seoul. "For me, as we look at planning and contingency planning, we are taking everything into account," she said. "But we are dealing with the government that exists right now. That government is being asked to reengage with the Six-Party Talks to fulfill the obligations they agreed to. We expect them to do so," the secretary said. Clinton had already addressed the succession issue while en route to Seoul Thursday night. "If there is a succession, even if it's a peaceful succession," she said, "that creates more uncertainty, and it may also encourage behaviors that are even more provocative, as a way to consolidate power within the society." A senior U.S. State Department official said Clinton was merely stating the obvious -- that Kim has not returned to his old form and his country is behaving in a way that bears the hallmarks of a country in the throes of a power struggle, according to the New York Times. Is Kim Jong-il's Third Son Heir? The issue regarding North Korea's succession has been a major concern since its leader, Kim Jong-il, allegedly suffered two strokes last year. North Korea has yet to officially announce the Dear Leader's successor, but reports have said that Kim's third and youngest son, Jong-un, is expected to be the heir. The Japanese daily Mainichi Shimbun reported Tuesday that Jong-un, who has no official title, has been chosen as the successor. Local analysts do not consider the reports completely groundless. "He is known to be the favorite son of the senior Kim. Besides, he reportedly has strong leadership and a desire for power despite his young age," said Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Inter-Korean Relations Studies Program at the Sejong Institute, in Seoul. The junior Kim was reportedly born in late 1983 or early 1984, and is also said to take after his father, he added. The North's recent military reshuffle supported the reports and speculation. On Feb. 19, Pyongyang announced that Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army Kim Yong-chun had been appointed minister of the People's Armed Forces of the National Defense Commission, equivalent to the rank of defense minister in the South. The publicity accompanying the military shakeup is considered unusual. "Kim's sons are too young to control the country. Thus, a top, influential military official might be needed to persuade the people that a proper succession has been made," Cheong said. Moreover, the new minister is known as an aide to the late Ko Yong-hi, third wife of Kim Jong-il and mother of Jong-un, and reportedly contributed to the movement to idolize the late Ko in 2002 through his loyalty to her. If it is true that the third son has been chosen for the future anointment, the minister would be suitable to help the transition, he said. Clinton Stresses Women's Role (Korea Times, February 21, 2009, Page 2) By Reporter Kim Sue-young U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton highlighted the importance of women's rights, Friday, saying they will lead to national development. In a lecture at Ewha Womans University, Clinton said she has a strong will to improve women's rights since they are more than just morality-related issues. "No country has yet achieved full equality for women. There is still a lot ahead for us to (do to) make sure that gender equality becomes reality," she said. "Part of my mission as the Secretary of State is (making sure) the United States is committed to enhancing the rights of women.'' The Secretary, a former First Lady, received an honorary doctorate from the school in recognition of her efforts to promote women's rights and status. The school is known to have a close relationship with Clinton's alma mater, Wellesley College. Dressed in a vivid red suit, Clinton also urged participants to show interest in international issues such as climate change and environmental pollution. To become leaders in the future, she said young people must do what they "love and (do what makes life) purposeful" for them and figure out how they can devote themselves to society. "I could never have imagined myself here as the Secretary of State today, but look where I am now," she said. "Follow your dreams. With your education and the opportunities available in your country, there is so much that you can do." On the North Korean nuclear issue, she said Washington will be ready to talk and discuss ways to replace the current armistice with a peace treaty if Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear weapons in a complete and verifiable way. Attending the lecture were Representatives Na Kyung-won and Cho Yoon-sun of the governing Grand National Party, and the nation's first, and Asia's second, female astronaut, Yi So-yeon. Clinton Urges North Korea to Halt Threats (Korea Times, February 21, 2009, Front Page) By Reporter Jung Sung-ki U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged North Korea Friday to stop its campaign of threats, including preparations to test-launch a ballistic missile. In a joint news conference following talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan in Seoul, Clinton also warned North Korea of its recent threatening rhetoric against South Korea. "North Korea is not going to get a different relationship with the United States while insulting and refusing dialogue with the Republic of Korea," she said. "We are calling on the government of North Korea to refrain from being provocative and unhelpful in the war of words that it has been engaged in because that is not very fruitful." Experts here said her remarks against North Korea (that were) tougher than those made during a speech to the Asia Society before her regional trip was aimed at relieving lingering worries here that South Korea might be isolated if North Korea resorts to bilateral talks with the United States. In the speech in New York, Clinton said her government was ready to normalize ties with North Korea and replace the armistice on the Korean Peninsula with a permanent peace treaty if the North abandons its nuclear weapons program. She also pledged energy and other economic assistance to a denuclearized North Korea. The communist state recently said it would suspend its compliance with all treaties it has signed with the South, blaming the Lee Myung-bak Administration in the South in a typical rhetorical blast, which some experts say aims to draw the attention of the U.S. administration of President Barack Obama. On Thursday, North Korea said it was "ready for war with the South." The statement came following the announcement by the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command on joint military exercises next month and hours ahead of Clinton's visit to Seoul. Clinton, who was visiting here on the third leg of her first overseas trip as Washington's top diplomat, called on Pyongyang not to proceed with its planned test-launch of a ballistic missile that not only violates a 2006 U.N. resolution but also could jeopardize the Six-Party denuclearization process. Clinton said, "It is clear that North Korea is required to suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program." U.N. Resolution 1718 prohibiting the North's ballistic missile activities was adopted in 2006 after North Korea test-launched several missiles, including a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile believed to have a range of 6,700 kilometers and capable of hitting Alaska. North Korea is currently preparing to test-fire a Taepodong-2 missile, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence authorities, amid the deadlock with the Six-Party negotiations involving the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia. Later in the day, Clinton paid a courtesy call on President Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae. Clinton conveyed U.S. President Barack Obama's wish to hold bilateral talks with Lee at the upcoming G-20 meeting in April in London, said officials at the presidential office. Lee stressed the need for the strengthening of relations between South Korea and the United States, as well as those with Japan, China and Russia to resolve the North Korean issue. Clinton responded the U.S. government was also "very much looking forward" to working with its Asian ally to overcome international security issues such as North Korea's nuclear program, as well as addressing the world economic turmoil. "We will try to convince the North Koreans to begin a process within the Six-Party Talks toward the complete and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons," Clinton said during Friday's conference. ¶S. Koreans Blame North for Strained Relations (Chosun Ilbo, February 23, 2009, Page 4) By Reporter Hong Young-rim Some 63 percent of South Koreans blamed the North for strained relations between the two neighbors, according to a poll by Gallup Korea for the Chosun Ilbo. That is more than double that of the 27.4 percent who attributed the current ice age to the South Korean government's policy toward the North. Among respondents in their 20s, 58.7 percent blamed the North; among those in their 30s, 68.9 percent; of 40-somethings 52 percent; and among those aged 50 or older, 69 percent. An overwhelming 84.9 percent of supporters of the ruling Grand National Party blamed North Korea, while a mere 12.2 percent said the South Korean government is responsible. By contrast, supporters of the main opposition Democratic Party were about evenly split, with 43.1 percent blaming the North and 42.3 percent the South. As for economic aid to the North, the majority or 56.8 percent called for support to the North on condition that it gives up its nuclear and missile development. Some 39.2 percent called for support without strings attached. The majority in all age groups urged the North to abandon nuclear and missile development. Bae Nam-young, an assistant manager at Gallup Korea, said, "The outcome of the latest poll suggests that many people think the government should maintain strict principles without trying to read North Korea's minds, at a time when the North is threatening to launch military provocation continuously and even to test-launch a missile." * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. Stephens