SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 28, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SEOUL 000676 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 28, 2009 TOP HEADLINES -------------- Chosun Ilbo Fear, Masks... and Prayers Mexico City Turns into "Ghost City" after being Hit by Swine Flu... Streets Empty, 103 People Dead and Most Outdoor Events Suspended JoongAng Ilbo ROK Health Authorities: "Korea Can Control Swine Flu Thanks to Improved Health Infrastructure Following the Fight against SARS in 2003" Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo ROKG Puts 10,000 People Who Have Entered the Country from U.S. and Mexico since April 17 under "Observation" Hankyoreh Shinmun U.S. Declares Public Health Emergency over Swine Flu Segye Ilbo, All TVs Swine Flu Spreading Quickly Worldwide Seoul Shinmun Swine Flu Feared to Pose a New Threat to Global Economic Recovery DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS -------------- The ROKG yesterday designated swine flu as an "infectious disease" so as to lay the legal groundwork for the culling of affected animals to prevent the virus from spreading. (All) Seoul is focusing on the early detection of suspected swine flu cases as well as the implementation of preventive measures. (All) U.S. Ambassador to the ROK Kathleen Stephens received an honorary doctorate in political science from Chungnam National University on April 27. (JoongAng, Seoul) INTERNATIONAL NEWS -------------- With swine flu spreading quickly worldwide, countries around the world are rushing to contain the spread of the new virus; countries are urging their citizens to refrain from traveling to affected countries, including Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. (All) MEDIA ANALYSIS -------------- -North Korea -------------- Commentary continues to flow in the wake of North Korea's April 25 announcement that it has begun to reprocess spent fuel rods from its nuclear facilities. Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized: "North Korea's reactivation of the Yongbyon nuclear facility will turn the North Korean nuclear clock back to before the February 13, 2007 Agreement ... jeopardizing the hard-won achievements of the Six-Party Talks. ... North Korea should objectively consider what good it will do to make provocations that contradict international expectations. ... China and Russia have been on the North's side so far, but if the North continues to make provocations, who can guarantee that the two nations will not turn their back on the North? ... North Korea ... should immediately come forward to reestablish ties with the UN and the international community. The first step toward that end is to return to the Six-Party Talks." SEOUL 00000676 002 OF 004 -Swine Flu Developments -------------- The ROK media gave top play to the spread of swine flu across the globe. According to media reports, the number of suspected deaths in Mexico increased to 103 as of April 27 and a number of cases have also been confirmed in the U.S., Canada, France, Spain and New Zealand. Seoul's countermeasures against swine flu received wide attention. The ROK media reported that Seoul has decided to expand the daily check system for swine flu to all medical institutions nationwide and designated swine flu as an "infectious disease" so as to lay the legal groundwork for the culling of affected animals to prevent the virus from spreading. Seoul was also reported to have put under observation some 10,000 people who entered the country from the U.S. and Mexico since April 17 and urged caution in traveling to affected areas. Newspapers carried the following headlines: "No one Knows Yet How This New Virus Operates... Treatment Available but No Specific Vaccine Available to Protect Humans against the Virus" (Conservative Chosun Ilbo); "Korea Can Control Swine Flu Thanks to Improved Health Infrastructure Following the Fight against SARS in 2003" (right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo); "Swine Flu Outbreak Amounts to Rubbing Salt into the Wound of Global Economy" (Conservative Dong-a Ilbo); and "Swine Flu Feared to Pose a New Threat to Global Economic Recovery" (Moderate Seoul Shinmun). The editorials of most ROK newspapers called for strengthened national monitoring and quarantine measures against swine flu and for voluntary reporting from citizens with flu-like symptoms. Conservative Chosun Ilbo, in particular, commented in its editorial: "In this global age where hundreds of millions of people migrate from one country to another each year, the pace of the globalization of a disease has overtaken (that of inventing) preventive measures." OPINIONS/EDITORIALS -------------- NORTH KOREA'S 'NUCLEAR GAME' (Hankook Ilbo, April 28, 2009, Page 35) North Korea is accelerating its move against denuclearization. In protest against the UN Security Council's presidential statement condemning its rocket launch, North Korea vowed on April 14 to boycott the Six-Party Talks. Moreover, North Korea said on April 25 that it has begun reprocessing spent fuel rods (from its nuclear facilities). These responses came in time when the UN Sanctions Committee finalized its blacklist of North Korean entities to be sanctioned. North Korea's reactivation of the Yongbyon nuclear facility will turn the North Korean nuclear clock back to before the February 13, 2007 Agreement. North Korea has abandoned the principle of shutting down and disabling its nuclear facilities in return for receiving 1 million tons of economic and energy aid. This can jeopardize the hard-won achievements of the Six-Party Talks. North Korea may attempt to obtain plutonium capable of manufacturing one more nuclear weapon by reprocessing spent fuel rods. Furthermore, North Korea may push for construction of a new nuclear reactor and uranium enrichment. However, North Korea should objectively consider what is the good of making provocations that contradict international expectations. It is evident that its escalating provocations will only deepen its international isolation and heighten international sanctions and pressures against it. China and Russia have been on North Korea's side so far, but if North Korea continues to make provocations, who can guarantee that even the two nations will not turn their back on the North? In that SEOUL 00000676 003 OF 004 case, it will be difficult for the North to achieve the goals that it has long been obsessed with -sustaining a regime survival and becoming a strong and powerful country through economic growth. North Korea's argument that its provocative behavior is inevitable because it is denied a legitimate right to use space and has been punished with sanctions for firing a satellite is not right. When even North Korea's state-run media organizations do not deny the military significance of the long-range rocket launch, it is natural for the international community to express concern and impose some sanctions on the North. North Korea should submit to those sanctions, and after the cooling-off period, it should immediately reestablish relations with the UN and the international community. The first step toward that end is to return to the Six-Party Talks. Other related nations, including the U.S., should go beyond sanctions and criticism and make serious efforts to find a breakthrough. Although giving in to North Korea's unreasonable threat is not right, we should not sit back and watch the situation spin out of control. ROK MUST BE PREPARED FOR SWINE FLU OUTBREAK (Chosun Ilbo, April 28, 2009, Page 27) Just 10 days after the first outbreak of swine influenza in Mexico on April 17, the number of people infected with the virus has risen to around 1,600, one hundred three of whom have died. A string of people in the U.S., Canada, France, England, Brazil and New Zealand who had visited Mexico show possible symptoms of the illness. The U.S., where 20 people have been reported as having contracted swine flu, has declared a public health emergency, and the World Health Organization is calling the outbreak a "public-health emergency of international concern" and urging governments to step up preventive measures. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan offered a gloomy prediction, saying it may be too late to block a global spread. Swine flu is caused by an influenza A virus that affects the respiratory systems of pigs. Until now, it was a disease that affected only pig farmers, but the virus seems to have mutated to become a dangerous strain that can be passed on from one human being to another. In 1918, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 40 million people around the world. In this global age where hundreds of millions of people migrate from one country to another each year, the pace of the globalization of a disease has overtaken (that of inventing) preventive measures. The first human swine flu patient was found in Mexico on April 13. (The ROK) government was informed by the WHO last Friday of the possibility of the virus spreading across the world. Over those 11 days, a considerable number of people arrived in the ROK after visiting Mexico. The government must track them down and determine whether or not anyone who arrived recently from Mexico has flu symptoms like high fever. People who visit Mexico for business must be checked when they arrive in the ROK. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has enough of the influenza drug Tamiflu in stock to treat 2.4 million people. But some experts say there should be enough stockpiled for 5 percent of the ROK's population, or 5 million people. More hospitals must be prepared to isolate and treat patients who show symptoms. The virus dies in temperatures over 71 degrees Celsius, so in order to ensure that hog farmers will not be hurt financially, televised messages need to explain that eating properly cooked pork is completely safe. (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) SEOUL 00000676 004 OF 004 STEPHENS