Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SEOUL454
2009-03-23 07:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Seoul
Cable title:
SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION
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UNCLAS SEOUL 000454
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KMDR KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION
North Korea
"Calamity of Full Participation in PSI"
Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized (03/23): "By the looks
of it, the Lee Administration pulled full participation in PSI out
of its bag of tricks to demonstrate that it will not let North
Korea's 'bad behavior' go without a response. However, it is quite
probable the move will only exacerbate problems and deliver no
benefits... The Obama Administration is not even finished reviewing
U.S. policy towards North Korea, let alone its leadership of PSI.
But as seen through the U.S.'s recent changes in policy towards
Iran, it is quite likely policy towards North Korea could turn
towards dialogue, regardless of whether the North fires a missile.
If the Lee Administration gets ahead of itself, it could exacerbate
the 'isolation of South Korea' and the North's approach of 'closing
up to the South and opening up to the Americans' (tong mi bong
nam)."
"This Is Not the Time to Talk About PSI Participation"
Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized (03/23): "The ROK's full
participation in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative
(PSI) could further strain inter-Korean relations... If North Korea
pushes ahead with a missile launch despite stern warnings from the
international community, it certainly should pay for what it does.
But it is not wise for the ROKG to decide to participate fully in
the PSI, going beyond countermeasures (authorized) by the U.N."
Detained U.S. journalists
"Detention of U.S. Reporters Should Serve As an Opportunity to
Resolve U.S.-North Korea Relations"
Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized (03/21): "If this incident (the
detention of U.S. journalists) is successfully resolved, it could
lead to a breakthrough in U.S.-North Korean relations and improve
the image of the North, not only in the U.S. but also in the
international community. If trust is built this way, it will be
easy to manage tension after the North's launch of the
Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite, and it will also lead to the early
resumption of the Six-Party Talks and the normalization of
diplomatic ties between the U.S. and North Korea. We hope that the
North will not miss this golden opportunity."
STEPHENS