SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION

UNCLAS SEOUL 000964 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KMDR KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - MEDIA REACTION IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS -------------- "Preventing Further Bloodshed in Iran" Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized (06/17): "First and foremost, we hope that the Iranian government and opposition parties will work together to avoid any further blood clashes. Iran is a key state in determining the political situation in the Middle East. No one benefits if Iran falls into a spiral of bloody violence. ... President Ahmadinejad has caused discontent among reformist forces by adhering to a hard-line conservative policy at home and abroad since taking office. ... What makes the current protests serious is that the general public critical of the current regime has aligned itself with the reformist forces. ... In order to resolve the situation, the forces in power must open their ears to the people's calls for change. They must keep in mind that if they attempt to resolve it through hard-line tactics of suppression, they will end up in even greater chaos." EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC: DPRK -------------- "Seoul Must Be Ready to Defend Itself" Conservative Chosun Ilbo editorialized (06/17): "Presidents Lee and Obama agreed to work together to achieve the complete and verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons and existing nuclear and missile programs. ... The problem is how to achieve this objective. There is mounting pessimism in the international community, as well as the ROK and the U.S., about the resolution of the North Korean nuclear and missile issue. Using physical means to eliminate North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities is not a realistic solution. A difficult task lies ahead for the ROK and the U.S. to overcome this pessimistic sentiment ... and to come up with a fundamental solution to the issues." "Did U.S., ROK Leaders Discuss Ways to Move China?" Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized (06/17): "At issue is the effectiveness of the sanctions (against North Korea.) Unless China takes an active part, the sanctions will hardly be effective. ... Accordingly, the U.S. and ROK leaders should focus their dialogue on how to move China toward maximizing the effect of the sanctions against the North. We hope that the two leaders had an in-depth exchange of views on this during the summit." "ROK-U.S. Summit Calls for Sticks against N. Korea" Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized (06/17): "Pressure and sanctions are not enough to resolve the issue of North Korea's nuclear and long-range missile development. This is why it is regrettable that the two leaders, while agreeing to pressure the North, failed to present incentives to bring the North back to dialogue. Now is the time for the international community to stand united to apply pressure on the North. However, only when the North is offered a way out is a peaceful resolution possible." STANTON