SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; June 8, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 SEOUL 000905 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; June 8, 2009 TOP HEADLINES -------------- Chosun Ilbo Clinton: "(U.S.) Will Consider Relisting N. Korea as State Sponsor of Terrorism" JoongAng Ilbo Former President Kim Dae-jung: "Punitive Measures are Necessary against N. Korea, but the Door to Talks with N. Korea Should Stay Open" Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo Obama: "N. Korea's Actions Have Been Extraordinarily Provocative" Clinton: "(U.S.) Will Consider Relisting N. Korea as State Sponsor of Terrorism" Hankyoreh Shinmun "Let's Retrieve Seoul Plaza with Voters' Power," a Plaza that has Become a Symbol of "Stifled Freedom of Assembly" Segye Ilbo Obama: "We are Not Intending to Continue a Policy of Rewarding (N. Korea's) Provocation" Seoul Shinmun Opening National Assembly Session in June Remains Up In the Air, with Major Political Parties at Odds over Death of Former President Roh DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS -------------- President Lee Myung-bak, in a June 6 visit to an air base in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, said that if the ROK and the U.S. cooperate closely, North Korea cannot act rashly. He also said that there will be no compromise on "things that threaten our people and security." (All) Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in their June 5 meeting in Washington, agreed to document Washington's extended provision of a nuclear umbrella over the ROK during the upcoming June 16 ROK-U.S. summit in Washington. (JoongAng, Segye, KBS) Foreign Minister Yu was quoted during a June 5 briefing with ROK correspondents: "The extended deterrence is a comprehensive notion that not only includes a nuclear umbrella but also military deterrence through conventional forces." Regarding recent U.S. media reports on North Korea's circulation of counterfeit notes, Foreign Minister Yu said: "I understand that new evidence has emerged recently." (JoongAng) INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- President Barack Obama, in a June 6 press conference in France, said that North Korea's actions over the last several months have been extraordinarily provocative. He went on to say: "We are not intending to continue a policy of rewarding provocation." (All) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, when asked on ABC's "This Week" on June 7 about a letter from some senators asking President Obama to relist the North as a state sponsor of terrorism, said: "We are going to look at it. There's a process for it" (All) A draft UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution against North Korea made public on Saturday reportedly includes a provision that would SEOUL 00000905 002 OF 007 allow UN member countries to stop and search suspicious North Korean ships even in international waters. (Chosun, JoongAng, Dong-a, Segye) MEDIA ANALYSIS -------------- -President Obama' Cairo Speech -------------- On Saturday (June 6),newspapers and MBC TV continued to cover President Obama's June 4 speech at Cairo University. Conservative Chosun Ilbo, in an inside-page article entitled "'Obama Doctrine' Opens New Horizon for Relations with the Middle East," commented that Obama's speech citing the 'Koran' was exceptional and that the West and the Arab world were united in welcoming the speech. Moderate Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun, left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun and conservative Segye Ilbo, on the other hand, reported on mixed reactions from within the Arab world. Hankook wrote in the headline: "Sincere and Frank Attitude... New Beginning Has Opened; What Is Important is Action... Bigger Challenges Lie Ahead." Hankyoreh's headline read: "(The Speech is) Like a Breath of Fresh Air; Action is More Important than Words" Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "What is most noteworthy in Obama's speech is that he said that any nation, including Iran, which was condemned by the Bush Administration as part of an 'axis of evil,' should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power and that, just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's. ... With this speech, Obama has taken a first step toward breaking Islam's distrust of the U.S. However, there are many obstacles to overcome. ... This is why some say cold-heartedly that they will watch if Obama's worlds will translate into action." In a commentary, conservative Chosun Ilbo observed: "It is said that Christianity is the eldest son of Judaism and that Islam is its second son. ... Since Christianity and Islam are like brothers (sharing the same roots in the) ancient Oriental civilization, the problem lies not in religion but in politics. Obama had a Muslim father and, as a child, he lived for four years in Indonesia, the world's largest Islam country. Will Obama be able to break the vicious cycle of the long-standing hatred between the West and the Islam world? The key lies in whether the powerful side (the U.S.) will take reliable action." -North Korea -------------- All ROK media today gave wide attention to President Barack Obama's June 6 press conference in France, in which he said: "North Korea's actions over the last several months have been extraordinarily provocative." President Obama was further quoted: "We are not intending to continue a policy of rewarding provocation." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's June 7 remarks on ABC's "This Week" also received wide press coverage. She was widely quoted as saying, when asked about a letter from some senators asking President Obama to relist the North as a state sponsor of terrorism: "We are going to look at it. There's a process for it." In a related development, conservative Dong-a Ilbo headlined its inside-page article: "The Current Situation is in a Sanctions Phase' ... U.S. Puts All-Out Pressure on N. Korea." Moderate Hankook Ilbo's headline read: "Obama, Clinton Pressure North Korea in a Row... U.S. Turns Hard-line toward North Korea" Most newspapers reported that the UN Security Council (UNSC) will likely adopt a new sanctions resolution against North Korea this week, since the ambassadors from the Council's five permanent members and the ROK and Japan have reviewed the draft of such a resolution. SEOUL 00000905 003 OF 007 Conservative Chosun Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo and Segye Ilbo and right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo reported that a UNSC draft resolution made public Saturday includes a provision that would allow UN member nations to stop and search suspicious North Korean ships even in international waters. In particular, the Chosun report said that the provision is incomparably stronger in tone than the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),the U.S.-led anti-proliferation regime, which has some 90 member countries. Chosun also noted that harsh sanctions will also be imposed on North Korean transactions in weapons. JoongAng Ilbo, meanwhile, said that the draft resolution will ban financial aid to North Korea, except for humanitarian purposes. Dong-a Ilbo editorialized: "At issue is the attitude of the Chinese government. China publicly says that it objects to nuclear development and proliferation on the Korean Peninsula, but is passive in imposing effective sanctions to prevent Pyongyang from developing nuclear weapons. We cannot understand how China, while failing to deter North Korea's nuclear development, can denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, prevent nuclear proliferation (from the North),and achieve peace and stability in Northeast Asia. If only China cooperates properly, we can deter North Korea's nuclear development as well as bring changes to North Korea. Now is the time for Beijing to think wisely about what is the real way to help North Korea." OPINIONS/EDITORIALS -------------- OBAMA'S CAIRO SPEECH (Chosun Ilbo, June 6, 2009, Page 22) By Editorial writer Kim Tae-ik On June 4, U.S. President Obama addressed 1.5 billion Muslims in a historic reconciliation speech at Cairo University in Egypt. Obama said that he "considers it part of his responsibility as President of the U.S. to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam." He also added that he will "seek a new beginning between the U.S. and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect." It is said that Christianity is the eldest son of Judaism and Islam is its second son. The Koran contains stories of Moses, Adam and Eve, David and Solomon and Noah's Ark, which appear in the Old Testament. Since Christianity and Islam are like brothers (sharing the same roots in the) ancient Oriental civilization, the problem lies not in religion but in politics. Obama had a Muslim father and, as a child, he lived for four years in Indonesia, the world's largest Islam country. Will Obama be able to break the vicious cycle of the long-standing hatred between the West and the Islam world? The key lies in whether the powerful side (the U.S.) will take reliable action. AMERICANS' VIEW OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION AFTER THE DEATH OF FORMER PRESIDENT ROH (Dong-a Ilbo, June 8, 2009, Page 31) By Washington Correspondent Lee Ki-hong What would foreigners think of the "phenomenon of former President Roh Moo-hyun"? Reponses from my American acquaintances can be summed up as follows: "It is surprising and hard to understand." They first appeared to be surprised at how a person who served as the former head of state committed suicide, and they also seemed to be surprised at Koreans' response to it. I decided to ask Americans about their opinions seriously and interviewed five people on June 4 and 5. Two of them are Korean Peninsula experts leaning toward the Democratic Party, SEOUL 00000905 004 OF 007 and the others are Korean-American intellectuals have been living in the U.S. for 20-45 years. The five people's views were almost the same. First of all, regarding "suicide," they agreed, "It is sad, but a person in a position to be a role model for others should not have chosen to (commit suicide.) The ROK society seems to be generous (in accepting his actions)." Asked about the argument that former President Roh was virtually killed by the prosecution, the media and the current ROKG, four answered, "I do not understand that logic," and one responded, "The prosecution and the media need to consider their own actions (with regards to this situation.)" A researcher at a think tank said, "I saw politicians close to former President Roh arguing that he was driven to death and demanding an apology from the current President, but they are the (same) people who were convicted of irregularities and corruption. In my opinion, it was those people who pushed former President Roh to the edge. Their greed tainted the reputation of former President Roh, who emphasized clean politics, and isn't that the reason why he felt ashamed and agonized? Koreans do not seem to care that those people who caused his death are using it politically to their advantage, instead of reflecting on their own behavior. Professor Park Yoon-sik at The George Washington University explained how tenacious and aggressive the media and the independent counsel were in the Clinton sex scandal. A former foreign policy and security advisor for the Barack Obama camp noted, "Think of how aggressive the FBI or the media would have been if former President George W. Bush's families or friends had been found to have taken millions of dollars in bribes." Kim Dong-suk, head of a center for voters in New York and New Jersey, said, "I do not agree that he was the victim of political retaliation," and pointed out, "In the U.S., yellow papers would make a fuss by relaying unfounded stories, but influential media outlets would always be tenacious and report only stories that have been confirmed." What everyone said was the most surprising (aspect of the situation) was the sudden change in public opinion. Professor Park said, "Former President Roh changed from being the object of ridicule to a national hero overnight, and this would not have been possible in the U.S." Another respondent asked, "It was a case of irregularities and corruption. How can the nature of the case change so suddenly?" Kim Suk-han, a senior partner in major law firm Akin Gump, noted, "When foreigners saw (the response to President Roh Moo-hyun's death),along with last year's beef controversy, they (get the impression) that ROK society is excessively emotional. (As a result, investors) feel more anxiety when assessing investment risk, and it also gives an impression that ROK society is unpredictable." I wanted to tell the Americans, "Other former ROK Presidents were involved in much dirtier scandals but (now) are living well. However, Roh felt so guilty and ashamed that he chose to take his own life. Wasn't he relatively much more naove? This is why Koreans feel particularly sad." If foreigners understand the pity that ordinary citizens' feel (for former President Roh,) their view would be a little different. However, it is regrettable that the people's innocent memorial fever has become "hard to understand" due to some ill-intentioned political and ideological forces. IF CHINA WANTS TO DENUCLEARIZE KOREAN PENINSULA, IT SHOULD BE PROACTIVE IN SANCTIONING N. KOREA (Dong-a Ilbo, June 8, 2009, Page 31) The UN Security Council (UNSC) has entered the final phase of adopting a resolution in response to North Korea's second nuclear test. Since representatives from the five permanent members of the SEOUL 00000905 005 OF 007 UNSC, the ROK and Japan have tentatively agreed on the draft resolution, they will soon be coordinating their final positions after consulting with their home countries. This draft is much stronger than UNSC Resolution 1718, which was adopted after North Korea's first nuclear test. At issue is the attitude of the Chinese government. China publicly says that it objects to nuclear development and proliferation on the Korean Peninsula, but it is passive in imposing effective sanctions to prevent Pyongyang from developing nuclear weapons. We cannot understand how China, while failing to deter North Korea's nuclear development, can denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, prevent nuclear proliferation (from the North),and achieve peace and stability in Northeast Asia. On May 25, when North Korea conducted its second nuclear test, China expressed unusually strong opposition to the test through a statement from its Foreign Ministry. It is also reported that Beijing has started a comprehensive review of its North Korea policy. However, a TV network in Hong Kong reported yesterday that Beijing notified Washington that it cannot drastically change its North Korea policy. It is difficult to understand what China's basic stance is. Even Taiwan's daily newspaper reported, in reference to China's hard-line stance on the North, that Beijing is "just wearing an angry mask" (pretending to be angry) for a while, which sounds convincing. It would not be easy for China, which has maintained friendly relations with North Korea over the past six decades, to change the basis of the relationship suddenly. However, if North Korea is accepted as a nuclear state, it could spread a flurry of activity throughout Northeast Asia to acquire self-defensive nuclear weapons. Japan will not sit idly, nor will Taiwan. In the ROK, talk of acquiring nuclear arms is also emerging. This could spark an arms race in Northeast Asia and undermine stability and peace. In the end, China could be surrounded by nuclear states. If China wants to avoid this extreme situation, it would be best to deter North Korea's nuclear development at this stage. The U.S. has a clear stance on the North Korean nuclear issue. President Barack Obama said, "We are not intending to continue a policy of rewarding (North Korea's) provocation." If only China cooperates properly, we can deter North Korea's nuclear development as well as bring changes to North Korea. Now is the time for Beijing to think wisely about what is the real way to help North Korea. OBAMA'S WORRISOME REMARKS ON NORTH KOREA (Hankyoreh Shinmun, June 8, 2009, page 23) A few days ago in France, U.S President Barack Obama said, "North Korea's actions over the last several months have been extraordinarily provocative." He made it clear that he plans to change the main focus of the nation's North Korea policy by saying, "We are not intending to continue a policy of rewarding provocation." He explained that while he himself still prefers a diplomatic approach, North Korea has not shown the serious effort a diplomatic resolution requires. The disappointment of the U.S. is understandable given the series of provocations that North Korea has engaged in since Obama took office, from its rocket launch to its second nuclear test and even preparations to launch a long-range missile. Although the Obama Administration, unlike the previous George W. Bush Administration, has sought to resolve the nuclear issue through dialogue, North Korea has continued to ratchet up tensions. Recently, it even announced that it would no longer be bound by the 1953 Armistice Agreement that has existed between the ROK and North Korea for the past 56 years, citing the ROK's participation in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) on weapons of mass destruction as the primary reason. North Korea's provocations have done great harm to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and East Asia and should be criticized. It also is reasonable for the international community to denounce these actions and seek an appropriate course of response. SEOUL 00000905 006 OF 007 Yet one cannot help expressing concern about President Obama's pronouncements. The change (in U.S. policy) from a dialogue-centered approach towards increasing confrontation will have repercussions that will fall squarely on the ROK. The likelihood of this occurring has increased as tensions have already built up in the Yellow Sea, and there is talk about the possibility of localized clashes. This has become all the more worrisome as the Lee Myung-bak Administration, faced with a political crisis in the wake of the sudden passing of former President Roh Moo-hyun, has been showing signs of moving towards using inter-Korean tensions as a means of getting through this crisis. Many analysts are speculating that the recent string of North Korean provocations may have stemmed from an internal need to build a succession system. However, the provocations may also be attributable to both Washington's and Seoul's North Korea policies. Since taking office, President Lee Myung-bak has provoked North Korea with various measures, including his refusal to recognize the June 15 and October 4 Joint Declarations between the two Koreas. The U.S., for its part, has emphasized a policy of 'benign neglect' in lieu of sincere discussions with North Korea. North Korea only became a policy priority for the U.S. again after it conducted a nuclear test. It would be rash to abandon dialogue without having first made any proper efforts. It is also wrong to view dialogue in itself as a reward. The North Korean nuclear issue can only be resolved when the international community makes North Korea abandon its nuclear ambitions by fundamentally removing the uncertainty related to its regime and bringing it fully into the international community. This is only possible through dialogue, not force. (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) FEATURES -------------- ROK FOREIGN MINISTER: "IT SEEMS THAT THE U.S. HAS NEW EVIDENCE FOR NORTH KOREA'S CIRCULATION OF COUNTERFEIT NOTES" (JoongAng Ilbo, June 8, 2009, page 6) After a June 5 meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan had a press conference with ROK's Washington correspondents. Foreign Minister Yu said that all the related countries agreed that they should curtail their financial dealings with North Korea to deter the North's nuclear test or missile launch. Q: What did you discuss with Secretary Clinton? Yu: "We checked items to be placed on the agenda for the upcoming ROK-U.S. summit. We also discussed the UN Security Council's countermeasures against North Korea (because of its) nuclear test and missile launch. The UN Security Council is engaging in final negotiations for a resolution sanctioning North Korea. We noted that the timing of the resolution is as important as its content. When North Korea conducted the first nuclear test, the resolution was issued within a week. We also agreed to intensify diplomatic efforts to finalize the resolution at least by early this week. I expect the resolution will be agreed to early this week. Q: Why has the UN resolution been delayed? Yu: "Although the ultimate goal of denuclearizing North Korea remains unchanged, the U.S. seems to think that more detailed measures are necessary in order that the entire world adopts a non-proliferation agenda after the North conducted its second nuclear test. The sanctions are aimed at putting into place more detailed and effective regulations on the inspection of third countries' vessels and aircraft frequenting North Korea." Q: Were (the UN Security Council's) financial sanctions discussed? Yu: "What is important in deterring North Korea (from conducting) nuclear tests or missile launches is to ban financial dealings with SEOUL 00000905 007 OF 007 North Korea. All the related countries agreed that such an effort is needed, except for (those transactions needed to further) humanitarian purposes. Q: What do you think of remarks by the U.S. Department of State that the U.S. may seek its own independent financial sanctions? Yu: I interpret these remarks to mean that the U.S. will make more proactive efforts to investigate North Korea's illegal acts such as drug trafficking, money laundering, transaction of banned weapons and circulation of counterfeit notes. The U.S. will step up efforts to exchange information with other countries and conduct an investigation actively. Q: Are recent U.S. media reports on North Korea's circulation of counterfeit notes based on detailed evidence? Yu: "I understand new evidence has emerged recently." Q: Did you discuss Kim Jong-un, (who was named as Kim Jong-il's successor)? Yu: We exchanged information. It seems that a process of succession was not completed but now is under way. Q: What is the probability of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore visiting Pyongyang to negotiate the release of two American female journalists? Yu: It seems that the U.S. government is discussing whether to tackle the issue directly or have the private sector deal with it. If similar precedents of American figures paying cash to North Korea in exchange for release of U.S. citizens in custody are taken into account, we could imagine Gore visiting North Korea. I personally expect he will limit any negotiations to the humanitarian agenda of the journalists' release, rather than take advantage of the chance for political talks with the North. (We have compared the English version on the website with the Korean version and made some changes to make them identical.) STEPHENS