SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 30, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SEOUL 000694 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 30, 2009 TOP HEADLINES -------------- Chosun Ilbo ROK's First "Presumed" Swine Flu Patient Acted "Wisely;" Feeling Flu Symptoms, She Isolated Herself at Home and Reported Her Illness to Local Health Center JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, All TVs Ruling GNP Suffers Crushing Defeat in By-Elections; GNP Fails to Secure Even a Single Seat in Five Legislative Seats Up for Grabs Hankyoreh Shinmun GNP's Crushing Defeat a Warning against Lee Myung-bak Administration's "Go-it-Alone" Approach DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ROK health authorities said yesterday that 16 more people are suspected of having contracted swine flu following the first "presumed" case detected in a patient who returned from a trip to Mexico. (All) The Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Chang Tae-pyong, said during an April 29 press meeting that the ROKG has no plan to halt imports of pork from North America because there is strong scientific evidence that pork is not a carrier of influenza. (Hankyoreh, Seoul) U.S. Ambassador to the ROK Kathleen Stephens yesterday opened Habib House, the Seoul residence of the U.S. Ambassador, to the press to introduce new art pieces on display under the State Department's Art in Embassies Program. (Chosun, JoongAng, Maeil Kyungje) INTERNATIONAL NEWS -------------- North Korea's Foreign Ministry threatened yesterday to conduct nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests unless the UN Security Council (UNSC) withdraws and apologizes for its recent sanctions on the North. (All) North Korea also warned that it will build a light-water nuclear reactor and begin to develop nuclear fuel technology. (All) Given that enriched uranium produces nuclear fuel for a light-water reactor, this statement might indicate that North Korea will embark on a uranium enrichment program. (Chosun, Hankook) The ROKG responded by warning that all responsibility for the [North's] worsening international situation lies completely with North Korea. The ROKG urged the North to stop taking actions that threaten international peace, to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions and [presidential] statement, and to return to the Six-Party Talks. (Hankook) Experts speculated that North Korea could conduct a second nuclear test at any time because of the country's presumed possession of several nuclear warheads. (Chosun) MEDIA ANALYSIS -------------- -North Korea -------------- The ROK media gave play to North Korea's April 29 threat to conduct nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests unless the UN Security Council (UNSC) withdraws and apologizes for its recent sanctions on the North. The ROK media also noted the communist state's statement that it SEOUL 00000694 002 OF 002 will build a light-water nuclear reactor and begin to develop nuclear fuel technology. The ROK media interpreted this statement to mean that North Korea will embark on a uranium enrichment program, as enriched uranium produces nuclear fuel for a light-water reactor. According to media reports, the ROKG responded by warning that all responsibility for the worsening international situation lies completely with North Korea. The ROKG was further quoted as stating: "We urge North Korea to stop taking actions that threaten international peace, to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions and [presidential] statement, and to return to the Six-Party Talks." Conservative Chosun Ilbo analyzed that North Korea could conduct a second nuclear test at any time because it is known to have several nuclear warheads. Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo viewed this North Korean move as aimed at "making its presence felt" in the face of Washington's strategy of neglect [towards the North.] -Swine Flu -------------- Citing ROK health authorities, the ROK media reported that 16 more people are suspected of having contracted swine flu following the first "presumed" case detected in a patent who returned from a trip to Mexico. Most ROK media quoted the Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries during an April 29 press meeting that the ROKG has no plan to halt imports of pork from North America because there is strong scientific evidence that pork is not a carrier of influenza. Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo commented in its editorial: "It is preposterous to avoid eating pork, because eating pork has nothing to do with swine flu. When the mad cow disease scare raged in the country, innocent cattle farmers were hard hit by the sharp decline in beef consumption. With the economy already in bad shape, we cannot afford to again let unfounded prejudice damage pig farmers and pork-related industries." Conservative Dong-a Ilbo, in an article entitled "Swine Flu Feared to Damage Already Battered World Economy," noted each country's efforts to impose travel restrictions to North America and to ban imports of pork from the region, while raising the possibility of diplomatic conflicts developing between countries. STEPHENS