SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SEOUL 000495 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KMDR KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION North Korea: Satellite Launch Consequences "Seoul, Washington Must Give N. Korea a Firm Warning" Conservative Chosun Ilbo editorialized (03/27): "Since February, when North Korea began preparing for its missile launch, the ROK and the U.S. have been engaged in diplomatic efforts to stop the launch. But they failed. Seoul was unable to 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. The ROK 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. 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." "Countdown to North Korea's Missile Launch and ROK-U.S. Summit Talks" Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized (03/27): "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 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 lower. 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. 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." "N. Korea's Missile Launch Must Be prevented" Conservative Dong-a Ilbo editorialized (03/27): "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. 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. The ROK, 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 London April 2. The two leaders must declare tough measures in unison." STEPHENS