SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; May 14, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 SEOUL 000771

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SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; May 14, 2009

TOP HEADLINES
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Chosun Ilbo
National University of Singapore Ranked First in Recruiter Review in
an Asian University Assessment Conducted
by Chosun Ilbo and QS

JoongAng Ilbo
Pentagon to Deploy 48 F-22s and F-35s to Guam in Five Years to Brace
for Possible Emergency on Korean Peninsula

Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, All TVs
Supreme Court Chief Justice Issues Stern Warning
to Justice Shin for "Inappropriate" Intervention
in Politically Sensitive Trials

Hankyoreh Shinmun
Supreme Court Justice Shin Refuses to Step Down...
Junior Judges to Meet Today to Call for His Resignation

Segye Ilbo
Pace of Job Losses Slows for First Time in 8 Months

Seoul Shinmun
ROKG Seeks to Cut All Redundancy in Welfare Programs


DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
--------------

U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, in
a May 12 interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA),said that (he) did
not ask the ROK to send troops to Afghanistan during his visit to
Seoul last month. He also expressed satisfaction with Seoul's recent
decision to expand financial aid to the war-torn country. (Chosun)

The Board of Audit and Inspection yesterday accused the Unification
Ministry of having been lax in monitoring strategic materials that
may have entered North Korea and could be used to manufacture
weapons of mass destruction. According to the state audit agency,
last year the Ministry allowed ROK firms to take 270 computers to
North Korea for business purposes without employing sufficient
security measures. (Dong-a, Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul)


INTERNATIONAL NEWS
--------------

President Barack Obama, in a May 12 statement to the PSI Operational
Experts Group meeting currently underway in Miami, expressed his
hope to turn the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),
which aims to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction,
into a permanent international regime in which all countries
participate. (Chosun, Dong-a, Hankook, Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul, all
TVs, OhmyNews)

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth
purportedly said in Tokyo on May 12 before heading back to the U.S.
that (he) would consider visiting North Korea over the next few
weeks." (Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul, all TVs, Pressian, VoiceofPeople)


MEDIA ANALYSIS
--------------

-North Korea
--------------
Most ROK media quoted U.S. Special Representative for North Korea
Policy Stephen Bosworth, who purportedly said in Tokyo on May 12
before heading for the U.S. that (he) would consider visiting North
Korea over the next few weeks.


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Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun, in particular, took note of
Ambassador Bosworth's setting a deadline of "the next few weeks,"
and commented that this might indicate Ambassador Bosworth's
intention to think seriously about a "package of proposals" to
present to North Korea, because he cannot go there empty-handed.

Conservative Chosun Ilbo editorialized: "North Korea, which had long
desired to hold direct talks with the U.S., has unilaterally
boycotted the Six-Party Talks. In this situation, if the U.S.
hurries talks with North Korea, giving the impression that it is
impatient to hold such talks, it could be seen as another type of
'compensation' for North Korea and could undermine the U.S.'s
bargaining power. ... The U.S. should limit its agenda for direct
talks with North Korea to the resumption of the Six-Party Talks.
North Korea may have many agenda items in mind, but the first and
foremost task at hand for the U.S. is to achieve the
denuclearization of North Korea."

-Troop Deployment to Afghanistan
--------------
Conservative Chosun Ilbo gave play to U.S. Special Envoy to
Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke's May 12 interview with
Radio Free Asia (RFA),in which Ambassador Holbrooke said that (he)
did not ask the ROK to send troops to Afghanistan during his visit
to Seoul last month.

Ambassador Holbrooke also expressed satisfaction with Seoul's recent
decision to expand financial aid to the war-torn country, according
to the Chosun Ilbo report. The newspaper interpreted Ambassador
Holbrooke's remarks as allowing Seoul greater latitude in deciding
on the Afghan aid issue, as well as indicating the State
Department's desire to see Seoul promptly provide non-military aid
rather than creating a stir in Korean society by asking for
deployment of Korean troops.


OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
--------------

U.S. MUST TREAD CAREFULLY IN DEALING WITH N. KOREA
(Chosun Ilbo, May 14, 2009, Page 35)

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth
returned to Washington D.C. on Tuesday after wrapping up his visits
to China, South Korea and Japan. U.S. Special Envoy to the
Six-Party Talks, Sung Kim, who accompanied Bosworth, met Russian
officials in Moscow on Wednesday.

The purpose of the visit by Bosworth and his team was to discuss
ways to get North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks. Speaking
with reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday, Bosworth said there is a high
possibility of direct U.S.-North Korea talks and said he would think
about the timing of that option over the next few weeks. Depending
on how North Korea reacts, that means Washington-Pyongyang talks
could take place before the South Korea-U.S. summit in Washington on
June 16.

The U.S. government has several times held bilateral talks with
North Korea within the framework of the Six-Party Talks. Now direct
talks to convince the North to resume the Six-Party Talks seem
inevitable. But there are a few things about which Washington needs
to be careful.

North Korea, which has long desired to hold direct talks with the
U.S., has unilaterally boycotted the Six-Party Talks. In this
situation, if the U.S. hurries talks with North Korea, giving the
impression that it is impatient to hold such talks, it could be seen
as another type of 'compensation' for North Korea and could
undermine the U.S.'s bargaining power. The North Korean regime has
dealt with several U.S. administrations, but Pyongyang's rejection
of the Six-Party Talks is the first challenge the Obama
Administration faces in dealing with the communist country. This
means it needs to prepare very thoroughly, especially since it has
not yet completed its comprehensive review of North Korea policy.

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The U.S. should limit its agenda for direct talks with North Korea
to the resumption of the Six-Party Talks. North Korea may have many
agenda items in mind, but the first and foremost task at hand for
the U.S. is to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea. The
most pressing item on the agenda is to resolve the problem of taking
nuclear samples from North Korea for verification, which the North
verbally promised former Chief Negotiator Christopher Hill in
October last year, but later refused, claiming that it had not been
signed on paper. Things will get more complicated if North Korea
seeks to set the agenda for the next phase of the Six-Party Talks in
advance. This needs to be discussed with the other countries
participating in the Six-Party Talks.

The U.S. must work closely with South Korea. The North has come out
with new demands since the inauguration of the Obama Administration
this year. For example, it has claimed that diplomatic relations
between Washington and Pyongyang must be formed before it gives up
its nuclear program. It has also demanded that the U.S. government
recognize it as a nuclear power and that Washington removes South
Korea from its nuclear umbrella protection, and that it can inspect
U.S. military installations in South Korea. All of these require
the consent of South Korea and make close cooperation between Seoul
and Washington absolutely necessary.

(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is
identical to the Korean version.)


FEATURES
--------------

HOLBROOKE: "I DID NOT ASK ROK TO SEND TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN"
(Chosun Ilbo, May 14, 2009, Page 6)

By Washington correspondent Lee Ha-won

Holbrooke's remarks spark controversy.
The U.S. Department of Defense pays close attention.

While the possible deployment of ROK troops to Afghanistan is
emerging as a big issue between the ROK and the U.S., Ambassador
Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and
akistan said on May 12 that he did not ask the ROK to send troops
to Afghanistan.

Ambassador Holbrooke visited the ROK and met with ROKG officials
including President Lee Myung-bak last month. In a May 12 interview
with Radio Free Asia (RFA),he said that (he) will never pressure
the ROKG to deploy troops.

Ambassador Holbrooke said that he is well aware of the difficulties
Korea has undergone due to the Afghanistan situation in recent
years. He added that he respects the decision made by the Koreans.
Also, he said he was very satisfied that Seoul decided last week to
expand financial aid to Afghanistan.

Ambassador Holbrooke's remarks should not be interpreted to mean
that the Obama Administration does not want a military contribution
from the ROK. However, his remarks can be interpreted that the U.S.
is willing to allow the ROKG greater latitude in deciding on the
Afghan aid issue. In particular, it is noteworthy that Holbrooke
expressed satisfaction with Seoul's decision to expand financial aid
(given Korea's own troubles in Afghanistan),referring to the death
of a Korean missionary in Afghanistan in 2007.

Ambassador Holbrooke is in charge of overall U.S. policy on
Afghanistan, and directly reports to Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and President Obama. It is reasonable to interpret, through
his remarks, the State Department's desire to see Seoul promptly
provide non-military aid rather than creating unrest in Korean
society by asking for deployment of Korean troops.

However, unlike the State Department, the U.S. Defense Department is

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wary that Holbrooke's remarks could be interpreted to mean that the
U.S. does not want the ROK to send troops to Afghanistan.
Previously, the Defense Department reacted sharply to similar
remarks made by Holbrooke during his visit to Seoul last month.
Reportedly, the Defense Department informally has sounded out the
ROKG about sending troops, referring to a unit of military
engineers, through its own military channel.


PENTAGON TO DEPLOY 48 F-22S AND F-35S TO GUAM IN FIVE YEARS
(JoongAng Ilbo, May 14, 2009, Front page)

By Military affairs reporter Kim Min-seok

The U.S. will increase military power capable of assisting the
Korean Peninsula (in case of emergency).
(Fighters to be deployed) can fly to the Korean Peninsula within 3
hours.

The U.S. Department of Defense plans to enhance considerably the
combat capability of Guam's (air) base which could play an important
role in an emergency situation on the Korean Peninsula. According
to the '2009 Guide to Foreign Military Forces Structure' distributed
on May 13 by the U.S. Air Force, the Defense Department will
establish a joint command center in Guam this October. The joint
command center will integrate operation of U.S. bases in Guam and
the Mariana Islands. Also, the center will serve as a hub for U.S.
forces which could be augmented in case of an emergency on the
Korean Peninsula.

According to the Guide, the U.S. decided to deploy 4 Global Hawk
high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles at Anderson Air Force Base in
Guam this year in order to bolster Guam's combat capability. In
ordinary times, the Global Hawks will patrol China and North Korea.
In case of an emergency, the Hawks can reconnoiter movements of
North Korean army around the clock to provide information necessary
for U.S.-ROK operations. Also, the Pentagon will deploy 48
state-of-the art fighters including 12 next-generation aerial
tankers KC-Xs, 6 strategic bombers, F-22's and F-35's.
Next-generation fighters and strategic bombers at Anderson Air Force
Base can fly to the Korean Peninsula within 3 hours while being
aerially refueled. F-22 and F-35, both fifth-generation stealth
fighters, are not detected by the radar network of North Korean
army. Also, the U.S. will relocate 8,000 Marines stationed in
Okinawa to Guam.

Currently, 1,700 military forces, 8 B-52 strategic bombers and 18
F-15's are stationed at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. 1,100
soldiers and 4 nuclear submarines are stationed at a naval base in
nearby Mariana Islands. In case of an emergency, U.S. combat forces
stationed at these bases as well as other combat forces to be
deployed will fly to the Korean Peninsula through Guam. Moreover, 6
large transport ships carrying all kinds of equipment and supplies,
which enable massive marine forces to engage in combat for 30 days,
are on stand-by.

On another note, the Guide said that China runs 3 hacker units
(cyber warfare unit). In 1997, China created a 'computer virus
unit' consisting of 100 agents under the auspices of the Central
Military Commission. In August 2000, China also established an
'anti-hacker unit' under the control of the Chinese Academy of
Science. China has been operating an 'electronic warfare unit'
under the control of 4 townships including Beijing and Guangzhou.
According to the Guide, China's hacker unit was caught attempting to
hack into (the computer system of) the ROK mission in the U.S. last
March. The Guide said that the ROK mission traced back the IP
address of hackers and identified China's hacker unit as a culprit.



OBAMA URGES COUNTRIES TO JOIN WMD INITIATIVE
(Chosun Ilbo, May 14, 2009, Page 21)

By Washington Correspondent Lee Ha-won

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U.S. President Barack Obama called on all countries Wednesday to
join the Proliferation Security Initiative.

A diplomat in Washington said Obama made the call in a statement at
a conference of the PSI steering group, the Operational Experts
Group, in Miami, Florida on Tuesday. He reiterated the importance
of turning the PSI, which aims to intercept the maritime transport
of weapons of mass destruction and related technology, into a
permanent international regime. Obama said there was no more urgent
threat to the security of the world than the spread of weapons of
mass destruction. The diplomat quoted Obama as stressing the
constant need for "strong and comprehensive" international
cooperation to counter the threat.

There was speculation that Obama would be less than enthusiastic
about the PSI, which is the brainchild of the George W. Bush
Administration. But in a speech in Prague in April, Obama also
urged the international community to join the PSI. His stance on
the PSI is expected to have a great influence on the ROKG, which is
currently considering fully participating in PSI.


UNIFICATION MINISTRY LAX IN MONITORING STRATEGIC MATERIALS
(Dong-a Ilbo, May 14, 2009, Page 8)

By Reporter Kim Ki-hyun

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) pointed out on May 13 that
the Ministry of Unification has been lax in monitoring materials
taken out (of the country) into North Korea. When goods are carried
to North Korea, they need government authorization, in a measure
designed to prevent "strategic materials," which could be used to
manufacture weapons of mass destruction, from entering North Korea.
As it turns out, the Ministry of Unification's criteria and
procedures for this authorization process are not strict enough.

According to the BAI, the Unification Ministry authorized four
high-tech items, including conductive polymers and high radiation
tolerant color cameras, to be brought into North Korea from 2005 to
2008 without checking if they fall under the category of strategic
materials. Furthermore, the ministry was not aware that three items
-- including black gunpowder -- were taken (to North Korea) without
authorization last year. It was also found out that 270 computers,
which can only be brought to North Korea under the condition that
they are returned within a year, were taken out of South Korea
without the ministry's authorization.

BAI also found that the Ministry was lax in its efforts to ensure
that computers taken to North Korea with the ministry's approval are
brought back to the ROK as stipulated by the rules (i.e. within 1
year). In particular, it was not confirmed whether the computers,
which had been carried into North Korea for events celebrating ROK
officials' visit to the North, have ever been returned to the ROK.
Most of the computers had entered the North without customs
clearance because they were carried as personal belongings. The BAI
noted, "Last year, out of 35,253 goods, only 22 failed to get
authorization (to enter the North.)"

The BAI also criticized the Korea Customs Office for not checking
the Unification Ministry's authorization when reviewing the
documents (submitted for customs clearance). BAI asked the Customs
office to consider reprimanding the responsible employees and lodge
a complaint against the involved companies for violating the Customs
Law.

In response, the Unification Ministry said, "The Korea Strategic
Trade Institute made a final judgment that the four strategic items,
including conductive polymers, are not strategic materials," adding,
"We plan to come up with manuals (helping us judge whether an item
is a strategic material or not) so as to control strategic materials
efficiently."



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STANTON