PRESS BULLETIN - February 26, 2009

UNCLAS SEOUL 000289 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 26, 2009 Opinions/Editorials ¶1. True Character of Clinton's Diplomacy (Segye Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 31) ¶2. Will 'Clinton Effect' Continue? (JoongAng Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 27) Features ¶3. Obama's Address to Joint Session of Congress Enviable (Hankook Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 39) ¶4. Foreign Ministry Selects 190 for US WEST Program (Hankook Ilb, February 26, 2009, Page 14) ¶5. N. Korea Puts Missile Fueling Facilities Underground (Dong-a Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Front Page) Top Headlines Chosun Ilbo Retiring Seoul National University History Professor Lee Tae-jin: "As an historian, I Feel Keenly Responsible for Failing to Criticize Left-leaning History Textbooks" JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, All TVs Ruling GNP Unilaterally Introduces Controversial Media Bills; National Assembly's Subcommittee Passes Motion to Ratify KORUS FTA Hankook Ilbo Survey Finds ROK Government and Politicians are More Lax than ROK Citizens in Observing Law and Order Hankyoreh Shinmun Ruling Party Starts President Lee's Second Year in Office by "Unilaterally Introducing Controversial Media Bills" Domestic Developments ¶1. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan told Korean correspondents in Beijing yesterday that China shared its concerns with the ROK over North Korea's latest movements for a suspected missile launch during the Feb. 24 ROK-China foreign ministerial meeting. (JoongAng, Hankook, KBS, MBC) ¶2. Won Sei-hoon, Chief of the National Intelligence Service, told the National Assembly yesterday that a three-generation succession in North Korea appears to be possible. He was further quoted as saying: "North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has not fully recovered (from his suspected stroke),but he does not appear to have any great difficulty conducting business." (All) ¶3. The Center for New American Security (CNAS),a think tank co-founded by Kurt Campbell, the likely next U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said in a Feb. 25 report that if the KORUS FTA should fail, it would create 
serious cracks in the ROK-U.S. alliance. (Chosun) ¶4. According to the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry has finalized the selection of 190 college students and graduates to take part in the (ROK-U.S.) WEST (Work, English Study and Travel) program. The Ministry originally planned to select 300 people, but about 41.5 percent of the 325 people selected dropped plans to joint the WEST program for financial reasons, such as unstable foreign exchange rates and the economic downturn. (Hankook, Segye) International News ¶1. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, during their Feb. 24 summit in Washington, agreed to work closely to deal with North Korea's missile problem. (JoongAng, Segye, Seoul, all TVs) ¶2. According to ROK and U.S. intelligence authorities, North Korea has significantly improved its missile launch facilities, with fueling stations built underground at the Taepodong-2 missile launch base at Musudan-ri in North Hamkyong Province. (Dong-a) Media Analysis North Korea Most of the ROK media gave attention to a Feb. 24 summit in Washington between President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, quoting them as agreeing to work closely to deal with North Korea's missile problem. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan's press remarks in Beijing yesterday also received coverage. Foreign Minister Yu was quoted as telling Korean correspondents: "China shared its concerns with the ROK over North Korea's latest movements for a suspected missile launch during the Feb. 24 ROK-China foreign ministerial meeting." Citing ROK and U.S. Intelligence sources, conservative Dong-a Ilbo front-paged a report saying that North Korea has significantly improved its missile launch facilities, with fueling stations built underground at the Taepodong-2 missile launch base at Musudan-ri in North Hamkyong Province. An intelligence source was quoted as saying: "If liquid fuel is pumped into missile projectiles at underground facilities, North Korea could dodge U.S. surveillance satellites. The North is now capable of conducting the most important part of a missile launch behind the scenes." Another source was also cited as saying: "While building the facilities for putting liquid fuel into missile projectiles underground, North Korea has also improved its capacity for related facilities and will likely fuel the projectile in one or two days." Won Sei-hoon, Chief of the National Intelligence Service, was widely quoted as telling the National Assembly yesterday: "A three-generation succession in North Korea appears to be possible. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has not fully recovered (from his suspected stroke),but he doesn't appear to have any great difficulty conducting business." More on Secretary Clinton's Visit to Seoul Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo's Senior Editorial Writer Ahn Hee-change wrote: "In the wake of Secretary Clinton's visit to Seoul, ROK foreign affairs officials appear to be relieved because she made quite pleasing comments. This (development) carries great significance, given North Korea's relentless efforts to bypass the ROK while talking to the U.S., and North Korea's military threats. However, what matters now is how long this 'Clinton effect' will continue. We should pay attention to how the U.S. will respond if the North goes ahead with a missile launch which is expected to happen in mid-March. It would be desirable for the U.S. to hold negotiations with North Korea to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. However, the U.S. should not focus on improving ties with the North while putting the North's nuclear issue on the back burner." Conservative Segye Ilbo's commentary observed: "The Obama Administration's North Korea policy has become clearer. The key is to achieve a complete and verifiable denuclearization through the Six-Party Talks. And yet, no prominent change from the previous Bush Administration's North Korea policy can be found. .... Except (for the fact) that the Obama Administration gives more weight to the normalization of U.S.-North Korea relations, there is almost no difference between the North Korea policies of the two administrations. North Korea's missile launch is expected to be the first test of the Obama Administration's North Korea policy. Clinton's smart power diplomacy is a mixture of softness and toughness. If we are blinded by external appearances, we may not grasp what really lies inside. Whenever its national interests are at stake, the U.S. takes a turn toward a hard-line attitude. This is what we and, in particular, North Korea should keep in mind." President Obama's Address to Congress The ROK media gave inside-page play to President Barack Obama's first address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24. Most of the ROK media reported that President Obama sought to spark optimism and confidence in his plan for economic recovery. President Obama was widely quoted as saying: "We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than ever." Moderate Hankook Ilbo commented in an editorial: "This address, like previous speeches, was full of rhetoric for concerted efforts and unity to overcome the economic crisis, but short on concrete measures." Opinions/Editorials True Character of Clinton's Diplomacy (Segye Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 31) By Editorial Writer Park Wan-kyu U.S. Secretary of State Clinton sent a clear message to North Korea. Before arriving in Seoul, she publicly mentioned the succession issue in the North, a taboo subject for U.S. diplomats. She affirmed, "I don't think that it's a forbidden subject to talk about succession in the hermit kingdom. In fact, it seems to me it's got to be factored into any policy review that one is undertaking." After meeting with her ROK counterpart, she also said, "North Korea is not going to get a different relationship with the United States while insulting and refusing dialogue with the Republic of Korea." Through this statement, she blocked Pyongyang's strategy of "promoting exchange with the United States and sidelining the ROK." She even described North Korea as a "tyranny." The Obama Administration's North Korea policy has become clearer. The key is to achieve complete and verifiable denuclearization through the Six-Party Talks. And yet, no prominent change from the previous Bush Administration's North Korea policy can be found. The message toward the North, which is jumbled with dialogue and pressure, remains the same. Except that (the Obama Administration) gives more weight to her statement about the normalization of the U.S.-North Korea relations, there is almost no difference between the North Korea policies of the two administrations. This could be evidence that the Obama Administration is still in the process of fleshing out its North Korea policy. If this is true, it is very worrisome because North Korea's provocations have recently crossed the line. Although Secretary Clinton warned Pyongyang against its missile activities during her visit to the ROK, the North responded with the announcement of missile preparations on February 24. North Korea's missile launch is expected to be the first test for the Obama Administration's North Korea policy. For the time being, the situation on the Korean Peninsula will become tense. Clinton's smart power diplomacy is a mixture of softness and toughness. If we are blinded by external appearances, we may not grasp what really lies inside. Whenever its national interests are at stake, the U.S. takes a turn toward a hard-line attitude. This is what we and, in particular, the North should keep in mind. Will 'Clinton Effect' Continue? (JoongAng Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 27) By Chief Editorial Writer Ahn Hee-chang In the wake of U.S. Secretary Clinton's visit to Korea, ROK foreign affairs officials appear to be relieved because she made quite pleasing comments. She said, "The North will not gain a different relationship with the U.S. if it refuses to talk with the ROK." Also, she noted, "The North should put an end to all provocative actions that could jeopardize the Six-Party Talks." Clinton took sides with the ROK. Clinton's remarks carry great significance, given North Korea's relentless efforts to bypass the ROK while talking to the U.S., and North Korea's military threats. Her warnings to North Korea are more than an ordinary diplomatic rhetoric. But what matters now is how long this 'Clinton Effect' will last. Considering the past record of inter-Korean talks and U.S.-North Korea negotiations, developments have turned out to be not necessarily favorable to the ROK. When North Korea test-fired a long-range missile in July 2006 and conducted a nuclear test in October the same year, the U.S. declared it would take a harsh countermeasure against such moves. However, only months later the U.S. swiftly turned to dialogue with the North, without a thought about the ROK government and its own intentions. Take another example. In mid 1990, during the Kim Young-sam Administration, the U.S. moved actively to improve ties with the North. The U.S. government held talks on repatriation of the remains of American soldiers and eased economic sanctions on North Korea. In the meanwhile, President Kim Young-sam faced public criticism at home since the ROK was sidelined in the talks while it ended up paying for most of the costs for the light water reactor construction project. At that time, the U.S came up with a plan to push for Korean Peninsula peace negotiations and the U.S.-North Korea talks in a separate manner. Under the plan, the Four-Party talks would be led by the ROK to deal with the peace treaty on the Korean Peninsula, while the U.S. would concentrate on improving ties with the North. But the problem was that there was initially almost no possibility that the talks on changing the armistice agreement into a peace treaty would be successful through the Four-Party Talks. After all, the Four-Party Talks were created to no avail. The U.S. clearly revealed that its own national interests should come first. We should pay attention to how the U.S. will respond to the North's missile launch. We are not sure yet whether the Obama Government would follow suit. But the ROKG should prepare itself for all possibilities. The ROK should pay attention to how the U.S. will respond if the North goes ahead with a missile launch which is expected to happen in mid-March. It is desirable for the U.S. to hold negotiations with North Korea to resolve North Korean nuclear issue. However, the U.S. should not focus on improving ties with the North while putting the North's nuclear issue on the back burner. This is a deciding factor on whether the U.S-ROK alliance will remain effective in the future. Features Obama's Address to Joint Session of Congress Enviable (Hankook Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 39) By Reporter Yoon Sang-ho Yesterday, U.S. President Barack Obama gave his first address to the Joint Session of Congress since his inauguration. Like any other speech, it included colorful rhetoric to drum up unity and solidarity among people in order to overcome the economic crisis, but it rarely set out specific policies. Nevertheless, his speech met with an enthusiastic response from lawmakers in both chambers of Congress. Not only the ruling Democratic Party but also the Republican Party gave him a thunderous ovation. This reminded me of the starkly different atmosphere at our National Assembly. President Lee Myung-bak, who also needs active cooperation from political circles in this tough economic situation, could have given a National Assembly speech broadcast live on TV, radio and the Internet to mark the first anniversary of his inauguration, but it was not realized. Even if it had happened, it would not have created a sensation. This is because not only the charisma, speech skills, rhetoric and energy of the two Presidents are different, but the attitudes of the public and lawmakers are also significantly different. Of course, the largest blame for losing public trust lies in the Lee Myung-bak Administration, and in this sense, thorough self-reflection and efforts are need to restore genuine "communication" and trust. However, we also need to think about whether the Lee Administration was shackled by public opinion and the National Assembly and thus was not provided with any opportunity to carry out its policy properly. Foreign Ministry Selects 190 for US WEST Program (Hankook Ilb, February 26, 2009, Page 14) By reporter Chung Sang-won The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Feb. 25 that it E has finalized the selection of 190 college students and graduates to take part in the Work, English, Study and Travel (WEST) program. According to the Foreign Ministry, the participants will be undertaking internships with U.S. businesses and non-profit organizations and going on travels after completing the English-language program. However, 135 (about 41.5%) of the 325 people selected dropped plans to join the WEST program due to financial reasons. The Ministry said, "We originally planned to select 300 people but only 265 candidates submitted completed applications to their American sponsors. In addition, 75 of (those who submitted applications) subsequently withdrew their applications to participate in the program." Among the 75 people who withdrew their names from consideration, 45 percent cited financial problems such as the increase in exchange rates as a reason for giving up. The Ministry explained, "The participants of the WEST program will be able to get a loan for an English-language course from the second half of this year. Up to 50% of the participants will receive financial support according to their income levels." ¶N. Korea Puts Missile Fueling Facilities Underground (Dong-a Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Front Page) By Reporter Yoon Sang-ho South Korean and U.S. intelligence said yesterday that North Korea has significantly improved its facilities for missile launch, with fueling stations built underground at the Taepodong-2 launch base at Musudan-ri in North Hamkyong Province. Experts said South Korean authorities could find it more difficult to closely monitor signs of an imminent missile launch. Senior Seoul officials said Pyongyang had completed facilities for putting liquid fuel into a missile projectile at an underground location near the launch pad at Musudan-ri between late last year and early this year. North Korea has been using liquid fuel with trucks or a separate external fueling facility after installing a missile on the standing launch pad. For the launch of the Taepodong-1 in 1998 and Taepodong-2 in 2006, South Korean and U.S. intelligence learned a missile launch was imminent by monitoring a scene of fueling via intelligence satellite. One intelligence source said, "If liquid fuel is pumped into missile projectiles at underground facilities, the North can dodge U.S. surveillance satellites." "The North is now capable of conducting the most important part of a missile launch behind the scenes." Another source said, "While building the facilities for putting liquid fuel into missile projectiles underground, North Korea has improved its capacity for related facilities and will likely fuel the projectile in one or two days." * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. Stephens 1