SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SEOUL 000595 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KMDR KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION East Asia and Pacific: DPRK, Missile Launch -------------- "CHINA AND RUSSIA AGREE TO UNSC'S STATEMENT CONDEMNING NORTH KOREA" Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized (04/13): "This presidential statement has great significance in that it was a decision agreed upon by the UN Security Council in response to North Korea's defiant rocket launch. ... Since the impact of the sanctions hinges on how actively UN members will implement them, it is premature to say whether the presidential statement is truly effective. The presidential statement is also limited because it lacks compelling force. Nevertheless, North Korea should not take it lightly that China and Russia joined the condemnation and agreed to specific sanctions, based on the perception that North Korea's long-range rocket launch violates UN Security Council Resolution ¶1718. The North should seriously consider the fact that the international community, including China and Russia, spoke with one voice about its rocket launch." "SUBSTANTIVE SANCTIONS SHOULD BE IMPOSED ON NORTH KOREA'S ROCKET LAUNCH" Conservative Dong-a Ilbo editorialized (04/13): "The presidential statement cannot be the same as a UN Security Council resolution. It is questionable whether the steps that the UNSC Sanctions Committee decides to take will be practical and whether the non-binding statement will be effective in implementing sanctions on the North. ... It is very disappointing that China and Russia took North Korea's provocation lightly and refused to adopt a resolution on the North. The international community must clearly demonstrate to the North the principle that 'it should pay the price for its bad behavior.'" "NO NEED TO BE OBSESSED WITH STRONG SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA" Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized (04/13): "It is generally believed that North Korea failed to achieve its goals at home and abroad of showcasing its missile capability and testing the will of the Obama Administration. In particular, since North Korea failed to make great improvements in its rocket technology, the overriding view is that North Korea would not dare to pursue a second nuclear test as some people fear. ... Strong sanctions could only give North Korea justification for rationalizing its bad behavior, rather than deterring the North." "CHINA CAN'T SAY 'NO' TO NORTH KOREA" Beijing Correspondent Jang Hak-man observed in moderate Hankook Ilbo (04/13): "The reason why China is generous to North Korea is because it wants the Six-Party Talks which are aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula to be successful. ... If China joins the international community in sanctioning North Korea, North Korea might defy China. This would derail the framework of the Six-Party Talks and weaken China's influence on North Korea. For China, the Kim Jong-il regime should be kept in place and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should be achieved through the Six-Party Talks in order to stabilize Northeast Asia. This is why China has no choice but to accept North Korea's 'stand-alone' strategy even at the expense of damaging its international reputation." STEPHENS