Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SEOUL715
2009-05-06 07:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Seoul
Cable title:
SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION
how-toVZCZCXRO7378 RR RUEHGH DE RUEHUL #0715 1260713 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 060713Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4227 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 8510 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5908 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 9675 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5816 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0653 RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 4336 RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 3318 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 6518 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0930 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2268 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1342 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1951
UNCLAS SEOUL 000715
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KMDR KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION
South and Central Asia: Afghanistan
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"Lives on the Line"
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized (05/05): "The Afghan
situation is getting increasingly worse. Outside the capital,
Kabul, many parts of the country are largely under the control of
the Taliban, which is rapidly expanding its influence over the
southeastern area bordering Pakistan. It is understandable that the
U.S., which is in desperate need of help, has asked the ROK, one of
its allies, to offer assistance. However, any decision to dispatch
Korean troops to Afghanistan should not be based purely on loyalty.
The lives of Koreans are at stake. ... Once in Afghanistan,
soldiers will have to risk their lives to fight Taliban soldiers,
which is why we cannot be too careful about future redeployment.
This is also the reason why America's European allies have been
reluctant to embrace U.S. calls for help in Afghanistan."
"U.S., ROK Should Put Cooperation on North Korea before Cooperation
on Afghanistan"
Moderate Seoul Shimun editorialized (05/06): "The U.S.
administration should look favorably towards the ROKG's measures to
support Afghanistan, which came after Seoul's serious consideration
of public opinion against troop redeployment and its role as a U.S.
ally. Washington should refrain from pressuring the ROKG by
demanding excessive financial aid because Seoul does not send its
troops to Afghanistan or by requesting troop deployment again.
Separately from the decision on the Afghan issue, the ROKG should
make every effort to call the attention of the Obama Administration
to the North Korean issue. ... The Obama Administration's strategy
of ignoring North Korea should be seen as part of its efforts to
focus on foreign policy priorities regarding Iran and Afghanistan,
rather than be dragged along by North Korea. ... The ROKG must
focus the attention of the U.S. administration on North Korea and at
the same time enhance the cooperative framework with the U.S. in
order to devise the right policy toward North Korea. Cooperation on
North Korea should come before the Afghan issue."
STANTON