SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; March 27, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 SEOUL 000492

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TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; March 27, 2009

TOP HEADLINES
--------------
Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun
Lawmaker Park Jin to be Subpoenaed and Lawmaker
Lee Kwang-jae Arrested for Allegedly Receiving Money from Taekwang
Industrial Chairman Park Yeon-cha

Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Segye Ilbo
Democratic Rep. Lee Kwang-jae Says He will Step Down

Hankyoreh Shinmun
Prosecutors Make Raid on "PD Diary" Staffers' Houses,
Act of Suppressing Freedom of Media


DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
--------------

An ROKG official said that if North Korea launches a "satellite,"
the ROK will raise the issue with the U.N. Security Council after
consultation with other nations. (JoongAng) Meanwhile, North Korea
countered that it would quit the Six-Party Talks if sanctions are
imposed. (Chosun)

An ROKG official said that North Korea will launch a missile in the
coming weeks. An unnamed military official said that the launch may
come earlier than expected. However, many observers say that North
Korea will not go ahead with a missile launch ahead of the date it
provided in its original notification. (JoongAng, Hankook,
Hankyoreh)

As all signs suggest that North Korea is to launch a missile soon,
the Navy plans to send its Aegis destroyer to the East Sea to
monitor North Korea's planned launch of a "rocket." (All)

An ROKG high-ranking official said that the ROKG is planning to
dispatch its military forces to Afghanistan, in the form of the
Zaytun unit. The ROKG has not yet decided on details on the troop
deployment. (Dong-a)


INTERNATIONAL NEWS
--------------

As North Korea has placed what appears to be a rocket on a launching
pad, the U.S. and Japanese governments issued warnings against a
missile launch. The Japanese government said that it is readying an
order to shoot it down if North Korea launches a rocket. The U.S.
government said it will go before the U.N. if Pyongyang launches a
missile, adding that there will be consequences. (Chosun, JoongAng,
Hankook, Segye)

Secretary of State Clinton said, "We have been absolutely clear that
the intention stated by the North Koreans to launch a missile for
any purpose is a provocative act which we believe violates U.N.
Security Council Resolution 1718." She warned that "there will be
consequences." (Chosun, Hankook)

The U.N. Human Rights Council passed a resolution on North Korean
human rights, which the ROKG co-sponsored. (Dong-a)

Yemen authorities have arrested six people suspected of committing
the terrorist act against ROK tourists, which took place on March

15. (JoongAng) According to the Yemeni government, the suspects are
al-Qaida militants. (Segye)


MEDIA ANALYSIS
--------------

-North Korea
--------------


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Most of the ROK media gave front-and inside-page play to a report
saying that North Korea has placed what appears to be a rocket on a
launching pad. Moderate Hankook Ilbo reported that many observers
say North Korea will not go ahead with a missile launch ahead of the
date it provided in its original notification. Left-leaning
Hankyoreh Shinmun noted that North Korea will most likely launch a
"rocket" on April 4 even though some speculate that the launch might
come earlier than expected.

The right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo reported that an ROKG official
said that if North Korea launches a "satellite," the ROK will raise
the issue with the U.N. Security Council after consultation with
other nations. The daily said that Chief ROK Delegate to the
Six-Party Talks Wi Sung-lac will visit the U.S. on March 27 and meet
with Special Representative for North Korea Policy Steven Bosworth
to discuss how to deal with North Korea's planned launch.
Meanwhile, Chosun Ilbo reported that the ROK has been making efforts
to coordinate its response to the launch with the U.S. and Japan.
The daily cited an ROK official as saying that as a separate move
from the U.N. sanctions, the ROK might push for its own sanctions
against North Korea. Meanwhile, citing the North Korean Foreign
Ministry, Chosun Ilbo stated that North Korea countered that further
sanctions would cause it to quit the so-called Six-Party Talks.

Chosun Ilbo reported that the Japanese government is readying an
order to deploy a missile shield, including interceptors, to protect
against debris that might hit Japan. Chosun Ilbo also reported that
U.S. Secretary of State Clinton warned North Korea that the U.S.
would go before the U.N. if Pyongyang launches a missile, saying
there would be consequences. Secretary Clinton said during a visit
to Mexico City, "We intend to raise this violation of the U.S.
Security Council Resolution, if it goes forward, in the U.N." She
added, "This provocative action in violation of the U.N. mandate
will not go unnoticed and there will be consequences."

In a related development, almost all newspapers carried reports that
the ROK Navy plans to send its Aegis destroyer to the East Sea to
monitor North Korea's planned launch of a "rocket." Conservative
Dong-a Ilbo front-paged its report, saying that the ROK Aegis
destroyer Sejong the Great is expected to maneuver in the eastern
waters with four other Aegis warships of the U.S. and Japan.

Dong-a Ilbo editorialized: Pyongyang seemingly wants direct
negotiations with the Obama Administration by threatening to halt
the Six-Party Talks and launching a rocket. Also, Japan is
determined not to sit back and watch the North's nuclear and missile
development. The North's missile development will encourage Japan
to go nuclear. The ROK, the U.S., Japan and the international
community must show that severe consequences will always follow the
North's provocations.

JoongAng Ilbo editorialized: North Korea has mounted its Taepodong-2
missile on a launch pad. What is most important now is that the
Six-Party countries should respond cooperatively. But it is quite
worrisome that there seem to be disagreements among them regarding
what countermeasures to take against the North's planned missile
launch. President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama
will hold a summit on the sidelines of the G20 financial summit
meeting in London April 2. The two leaders must cooperate to
declare tough measures against North Korea's missile launch.

-Afghanistan
--------------

Conservative Dong-a Ilbo reported that a high-ranking ROKG official
said that the ROKG will reportedly send troops to Afghanistan to
help the war-torn country rebuild and secure stability, and is
reviewing the scale of deployment and schedules. The daily opined
that the ROKG's decision to commit its forces to Afghanistan will
elevate the ROK-U.S. alliance to a higher level. The newspaper
noted that the decision was made in view of the ROK's international
status and its supposed role in the world.



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OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
--------------

WILL INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS BEGIN TO THAW AROUND SUMMER?
(Seoul Shinmun, March 27, 2009, Page 31)

By Seo Jae-jin, President of the Korea Institute for National
Unification

It has been a year since North Korea started its slander against the
ROK under the pretext that the ROK is not faithfully implementing
the October 4 Joint Declaration. After ratcheting up the rhetoric
against the South, Pyongyang finally declared an all-out
confrontation posture against the ROK on January 17.

We need to examine North Korea's intentions in light of its recent
moves, such as its nuclear issue and missile launch preparations. A
series of moves by Pyongyang toward the ROK were thoroughly planned
in advance for several important purposes.

First, they are designed to create a favorable atmosphere for
internal unity in the North. As continuing economic difficulties
undermine the legitimacy of power and spread discontent, the North
has tried to distract the attention (of North Korean people) and
strengthen control over society by creating an outside enemy and
fostering a confrontational atmosphere.

Second, North Korea's recent moves are part of its policy toward the
U.S. As the top priority for its survival, Pyongyang is seeking to
normalize its ties with the U.S. Otherwise, it would be difficult
for the North to revive its economy and escape its diplomatic
isolation.

Third, they are part of Pyongyang's policy toward the ROK. North
Korea, aware that it is difficult to have negotiations with the U.S.
during a transition to a new U.S. administration, is trying to
create internal conflicts in the ROK society by taking a
confrontational posture against the South, to pressure the ROKG to
change its North Korea policy, and furthermore, to use the situation
to enhance North Korea's internal solidarity.

Although the North is pursuing its short-term goals by creating
tension with the South, it has no choice but to improve its
relations with the South in the mid- to long-term. This is because,
when inter-Korean ties remain strained, dialogue between the North
and the U.S. cannot proceed smoothly.

In this sense, a hiatus in North Korea's slander and military
threats against the South is expected to come around summer when the
situation surrounding North Korea's missile launch and the ensuing
sanctions subsides and the U.S.-North Korea talk resumes. Due to
lack of trust between the two Koreas, inter-Korean dialogue is less
likely to resume at the same time when the U.S.-North Korea dialogue
starts again. However, it is highly possible that the resumption of
the U.S.-North Korea dialogue will give impetus to inter-Korean
dialogue, although there will be an interval of several months
between the two.


COUNTDOWN TO NORTH KOREA'S MISSILE LAUNCH AND ROK-U.S. SUMMIT TALKS
(JoongAng Ilbo, March 27, 2009, Page 46)

With North Korea's rocket launch imminent, what is more worrisome
than China and Russia's expected opposition to UN sanctions against
the North is actually the attitude of the U.S. The U.S. initially
spoke loud and clear on this issue, but as times goes by, its voice
seems to be getting softer. After Director of National Intelligence
Dennis Blair said in Congress that he believes that a "space launch"
is what they (the North Koreans) intend, all the talk about shooting
it down died down. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton even
said that the missile issue can be taken up at the Six-Party Talks
aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear issue. We do not
understand what she is going to do by including the U.S.-North Korea
missile talks in the Six-Party framework. If discussions about

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North Korea's rocket launch at the UN Security Council fizzle out,
does the U.S. plan to refer the issue to the Six-Party Talks and
discuss rewarding North Korea for its moratorium on more launches?

At the ROK-U.S. summit in London, ROK and U.S. Presidents must
dispel this concern and make clear that there will be no difference
between the ROK and the U.S. on their North Korea policies in the
wake of North Korea's rocket launch. They also need to clearly draw
a red line that separates what North Korea is allowed to do and what
it is not allowed to do regarding the missile issue. The summit
between ROK President Lee and U.S. President Obama should serve as a
guideline for Six-Party nations to prepare for the situation
following the rocket launch from a broad perspective. Unless the
Lee-Obama summit produces those results, it may become a "failed
meeting," consequently raising concern about a crack in the ROK-U.S.
coordination on the North. Such a situation should not happen.



N. KOREA'S MISSILE LAUNCH MUST BE PREVENTED
(Dong-a Ilbo, March 27, 2009, Page 31)

Despite claiming it is a satellite, North Korea has mounted its
Taepodong-2 missile on a launch pad on its northeast coast. The
North said the test launch will come between April 4 and 8. Despite
heavy global opposition led by South Korea, the United States, Japan
and the United Nations, the North apparently will proceed with the
controversial rocket. If it injects fuel into it, it can be
launched. The North could even fire it a few days ahead of
schedule.

Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are now in emergency mode and are
preparing cooperation with one another. Off the Korean Peninsula's
east coast are two U.S. and Japanese Aegis ships each equipped with
SM-3 missiles. South Korea has sent the destroyer King Sejong the
Great as well. Aegis ships can track and shoot down a flying
object. They will track the trajectory of the North's projectile
with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, and
decide whether to shoot it down. Japan will also issue an "order to
destroy a ballistic missile" if the Taepodong-2 falls on its land or
waters. For this, Tokyo has deployed the ground-based Patriot
Advanced Capability-3 interceptors.

If Pyongyang launches the Taepodong-2, it might be crossing a bridge
of no return. It has begun a countdown where its destiny is at
stake. If the North launches the missile, it must bear the
responsibility that comes with it.

Pyongyang seemingly wants direct negotiations with the Obama
Administration by threatening to halt the Six-Party Talks and
launching this rocket. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has
warned that she will not tolerate the North's nuclear development
and ballistic missile activities when she visited Seoul last month.
"There is no issue on which we are more united than North Korea,"
she said, adding that North Korea cannot have a different
relationship with the United States while criticizing and refusing
talks with South Korea. She even showed her determination to begin
discussion on the post-Kim Jong-il era.

Japan is also determined not to sit back and watch the North's
nuclear and missile development. The North's missile development
will encourage Japan to go nuclear. This is something raising fears
in China, North Korea's guardian, and in South Korea. A nuclear
arms race could start in Northeast Asia if the North develops
weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear and missile development goes
hand in hand. A missile is needed to carry nuclear warheads long
distances.

North Korea claims the rocket it plans to launch is a satellite
called the Kwangmyongsong-2, asserting its "right to the peaceful
use of space" and "sovereignty." Be it a satellite or missile, this
violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 that bans "all
activities related to North Korea's ballistic missile program." If
Pyongyang sincerely hopes to use it for peace, it must feed its
hungry people with the cost of the launch. The North has spread

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weapons of mass destruction before by selling ballistic missile
parts to Iran.

South Korea, the United States, Japan and the international
community must show that severe consequences will always follow the
North's provocations. President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President
Barack Obama will hold a summit on the sidelines of the G20
financial summit meeting in Londo April 2. The two leaders must
declare tough measures in unison. Hopefully, China and Russia, both
of which are members of the U.N. Security Council and the Six-Party
Talks, can join the efforts. If the North cancels its planned
launch of the Taepodong-2 and holds talks, it will survive.

(This is a translation provided by the newspaper. We replaced the
translation of Secretary Clinton's quote with her original remark.)


SEOUL, WASHINGTON MUST GIVE N. KOREA A FIRM WARNING
(Chosun Ilbo, March 27, 2009, Page 31)

South Korean and U.S. intelligence have confirmed that North Korea
has set up a missile on its launch pad at the Musudan-ri test site
in North Hamgyong Province. North Korea claims that the rocket will
carry a "satellite" into orbit, but South Korean and U.S. officials
believe the launch vehicle is actually a long-range, ballistic
missile. It can be launched at any time once fueling, which takes
three to four days, is completed. The countdown to the long-range
missile launch has virtually begun, since North Korea has already
informed the International Maritime Organization that it would
launch the "satellite" between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. during Apr. 4 to

8.

The South Korean government has dispatched its Aegis-class King
Sejong the Great destroyer to the East Sea to track developments in
conjunction with two U.S. naval Aegis vessels already there. Two
Japanese Aegis vessels are also operating in the East Sea. Tokyo
plans to convene a security council meeting on Friday to authorize
the destruction of the North Korean ballistic missile, in accordance
with Japan's self-defense law. If the North Korean rocket is
confirmed to be a ballistic missile, Japan plans to intercept it
with SM3 missiles. And if this fails, Japan intends to use its PAC3
missiles, based with its Self Defense Forces, to intercept it once
it re-enters the atmosphere. North Korea has declared it would
retaliate against such moves, ratcheting up tensions on the Korean
Peninsula.

The South Korean government has shifted from efforts to resist the
launch to formulating post-launch measures. South Korea's top
nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac is visiting Washington D.C. on Friday to
discuss measures with U.S. government officials. Since February,
when North Korea began preparing for its missile launch, South Korea
and the U.S. have been engaged in diplomatic efforts to stop the
launch. But they failed. Seoul was unable to take do anything
since its communication channels with the North have been cut off,
and the Obama Administration does not seem to have a full
understanding of the seriousness of the situation.

South Korea and the U.S. must use this crisis as an opportunity to
revamp their cooperative system for dealing with North Korea and
publicly announce what consequences the North stands to face if it
pushes ahead with the missile launch. And diplomatic efforts must
be made to get China and Russia to take part in this warning. The
warning must be firm to be effective, and it must be made in good
time to prevent the situation from worsening beyond control. One
possibility is boosting sanctions as part of UN Security Council
Resolution 1718 issued after North Korea's nuclear test in October
2006, so that the regime can feel the resolute determination of the
international community.

Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Barack Obama, who are holding their
first summit at the G20 meeting in London on Apr. 2, must issue a
final warning to North Korea against a misjudgment. The entire
world is watching what the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. will
do in case the communist country pushes the button just as the two

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presidents meet.

(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is
identical to the Korean version.)


FEATURES
--------------

KOREA TO REDEPLOY TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN: SOURCE
(Dong-a Ilbo, March 27, 2009, Front Page)

By Reporters Kim Young-sik and Yoon Sang-ho

The government will reportedly send troops to Afghanistan to help
the war-torn country rebuild and secure stability, and is reviewing
the scale of deployment and schedules.

The dispatch will be done in the same way as the Zaytun unit, which
conducted a peacekeeping mission in Iraq, a high-ranking Korean
government source said.

"As 42 countries have dispatched troops to Afghanistan, Korea, a
close ally of the United States and a country with both economic and
military prowess, can no longer delay troop dispatch or turn a deaf
ear to the U.S. request," the official said.

"Though we`ve yet to get an official request from Washington, it has
asked for our help directly and indirectly. So the (Korean)
government has decided to send troops."

Like the Zaytun unit, military engineers will comprise most of the
unit`s members and the number will likely be under 1,000," he added.


A diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity, "Government
officials made preliminary contact with their U.S. counterparts over
the proposed troop dispatch to Afghanistan last week and
full-fledged discussion among relevant ministries has started."

"Chances are that U.S. President Barack Obama will bring up the
issue at his first meeting with President Lee Myung-bak on the
sidelines of the (Group of 20) summit in London April 2. As part of
the preparation for the summit, the (Korean) government has decided
to send troops."

Seoul will make a final decision on the number of troops, a date for
the dispatch, and the region where the troops will be stationed
after reviewing the situation in Afghanistan and public opinion
here.

A detailed plan will be finalized around June when a Korea-U.S.
summit is expected and sent to the June extra parliamentary session
in Korea for approval. The dispatch will likely take place in the
latter half of the year under this schedule.

At an international conference on Afghanistan in The Hague Tuesday,
the United States is likely to make an official request to Korea for
the dispatch after coming up with concrete strategies and an
international cooperation system to stabilize Afghanistan.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung-hwan will attend the
conference and discuss guaranteeing sustainable security and
achieving economic and social development.

(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is
identical to the Korean version.)



N. KOREA THREATENS END TO 6-PARTY TALKS
(Chosun Ilbo, March 27, 2009, Page 4)

By Reporter Ahn Yong-hyun


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North Korea on Thursday threatened if the UN Security Council takes
even a minor action against what it claims is a satellite launch, it
will mean the end of Six-Party Talks and denuclearization. In an
interview with the official Korea Central News Agency, a Foreign
Ministry spokesman said "even a word" by the UN Security Council
about "the peaceful launch of a satellite" would constitute "violent
hostility." The moment that the "spirit of mutual respect and
equality" enshrined in the Sept. 19, 2005 statement of principles
for scrapping the North's nuclear program is denied, the Six-Party
Talks are over.

Progress made thus far will also be reversed, and North Korea will
take "strong measures necessary to protect itself," the spokesman
said.

He added some media were representing the hostility of the UN
Security Council against North Korea as mere "sanctions or
resolutions." But he said this was a "foolish trick by hostile
forces trying to castigate our satellite launch under the name of
the UN Security Council while avoiding the responsibility that
follows."

(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is
identical to the Korean version.)


WARSHIPS DISPATCHED AS N. KOREA ROCKET LAUNCH NEARS
(Chosun Ilbo, March 27, 2009, Front Page)

By Reporters Yoo Yong-won and Lim Min-hyuk

South Korea, Japan and the United States dispatched five Aegis class
vessels, including the South's King Sejong the Great destroyer, to
track down a rocket North Korea is poised to launch. The missile
has apparently been set up at a launch pad in Musudan-ri, North
Hamgyong Province.

A South Korean military source on Thursday said Seoul decided to
immediately deploy the King Sejong the Great in the East Sea when it
became clear the North had set up the rocket. The ship is South
Korea's first Aegis class naval vessel and equipped with radar that
can track ballistic missiles as far as 1,024 km away.

The U.S. Navy has deployed two of its own Aegis vessels - the USS
Chaffee (DDG-90) and the USS John McCain (DDG-56) - to track the
missile following their participation in joint military drills with
South Korea. Japan has also deployed two Aegis vessels in the East
Sea - the Kongo and Chokai - which are equipped with SM-3
interceptor missiles.

U.S. intelligence officials are apparently finding it difficult to
determine whether the rocket is a ballistic missile or a
satellite-launch vehicle, since the North Koreans have placed a
tarpaulin over the warhead. Intelligence agencies believe the first
stage of the missile has a stronger thrust than originally believed,
since it was made by combining five to six Rodong missile rockets
into one.

South Korea's top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lak is scheduled to visit
the U.S. on Friday to meet with Stephen Bosworth, the special
representative for North Korea policy, and Sung Kim, Washington's
top envoy to the Six-Party Talks, to discuss North Korea's missile
launch. Japan's chief nuclear negotiator Saiki Akitaka is also
visiting Washington during that period.

(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is
identical to the Korean version.)


"PD DIARY" STAFF ARRESTED, HOMES RAIDED IN PROBE
(Dong-a Ilbo, March 27, 2009, Page 12)

By Reporters Chung Seong-chul and Cho Jong-yup


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Prosecutors yesterday raided the homes of the staff of the MBC TV
investigative program "PD Diary" on suspicion of exaggerating fears
over American beef and the risk of mad cow disease.

The Seoul District Prosecutors' Office sent investigators to the
homes of four producers and two writers and seized computers,
videotapes and papers related to the controversial program.

Producer Lee Chun-geun was arrested Wednesday and questioned on
whether he intentionally edited or modified the scripts or video
footage to exaggerate fears over mad cow disease.

Refusal for interrogation

Prosecutors took several people into custody and seized materials
shortly after members of the program's staff snubbed a summons,
concluding they were unwilling to help the investigation.

The former chief producer of the program Jo Neung-hee and fellow
producers Lee and Kim Bo-seul defied a summons Tuesday and
Wednesday. Four of the six targeted for investigation were summoned
three times last year, but never showed up for questioning.

Prosecutors said a further and thorough investigation is inevitable
since government officials, including former Agriculture Minister
Chung Woon-chun, filed a defamation complaint against the program's
staff.

Investigators said they need to talk to the program's producers and
staff to find out if they had any reason to believe they reported
the truth and if they knew they reported the wrong information, to
determine whether they defamed government officials.

Prosecutors are considering measures to detain other staff at the
program participating in a sit-in demonstration inside the MBC
building.

Potential raid on MBC

In July last year, prosecutors suggested the possibility that PD
Diary staff intentionally mistranslated parts of a video clip
broadcast in English to imply that Downer cows - ones that can`t
walk on their own - were infected with mad cow disease.

The program's staff is also suspected of intentionally
misinterpreting the interview of a mother whose daughter died of
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and deadly nerve disease. A
prosecutor said the program might have led viewers to the erroneous
conclusion that the girl died of vCJD, the human form of mad cow
disease.

Prosecutors have requested that the producers and staff provide the
original material.

In an interview with MBC radio yesterday, producer Kim said, "The
original materials mostly consist of interviews. If prosecutors
want to say we distorted the material, it'd be better for them to
ask the interviewees what their intention was."

A prosecutor shot back by saying, "We'll judge whether we need the
original materials or not. If they were not at fault, they have no
reason not to provide the materials."

Producers of MBC's documentary department have also refused to work
on any program to protest the arrest of producer Lee. Since
higher-ranking producers will replace demonstrators, the programs
"No Complaints" and "MBC Special" will air as scheduled.


STEPHENS