PRESS BULLETIN - January 21, 2009

UNCLAS SEOUL 000099 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/K, EAP/PD, INR/EAP/K AND INR/IL/P TREASURY FOR OASIA/WINGLE USDOC FOR 4430/IEP/OPB/EAP/WGOLICKE STATE PASS USDA ELECTRONICALLY FOR FAS/ITP STATE PASS DOL/ILAB SUDHA HALEY STATE PASS USTR FOR IVES/WEISEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO PGOV PREL MARR ECON KS US SUBJECT: PRESS BULLETIN - January 21, 2009 Opinions/Editorials ¶1. Good luck, President Obama (JoongAng Ilbo, January 21, 2009, Page 30) ¶2. ROK-U.S. Alliance Needs Constant Care (Chosun Ilbo, January 21, 2009, Page 30) ¶3. High Expectations for Obama's Era (Hankook Ilbo, January 21, 2009, Page 39) ¶4. A New Beginning for America (Chosun Ilbo, January 21, 2009, Page 31) ¶5. A New America, A New World (Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 21, 2009, Page 27) Top Headlines Chosun Ilbo America Has Been Reborn; Obama Inaugurated as 44th U.S. President JoongAng Ilbo, All TVs Five Protesters and a Police Officer Dead in Fire during Police-Tenant Standoff Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun Reckless, Massive Police Crackdown on Protesters Blamed for the Tragedy Domestic Developments ¶1. The ROK's Deputy Nuclear Envoy Hwang Joon-kook returned to Seoul yesterday, ending his trip to North Korea where he hoped to discuss the ROK's possible purchase of unused fuel rods stored at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facilities. At a press briefing, Hwang stated: "North Korea was very cooperative during the visit. We inspected three nuclear facilities that are under disablement, including the nuclear fuel rod producing factory where unused fuel rods are stored." (All) ¶2. The ROK envoy, however, did not meet any of the North's senior nuclear negotiators, including North Korea's Chief Nuclear Envoy, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan. (All) ¶3. The ROK's Cabinet yesterday approved a government plan to send a naval ship and forces to waters off the coast of Somalia to protect international commercial vessels from piracy. (All) International News ¶1. Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the U.S. on Jan. 20 (Washington time). In his inaugural address, the new U.S. president called on Americans to unite as one nation in order to overcome the challenges facing the country, including the economic crisis, and to begin the work of remaking America. He stressed a "new era of responsibility," optimism and his promise for a new 
America. (All) ¶2. According to the Blue House, President Lee Myung-bak sent a congratulatory letter to Barack Obama yesterday. (Segye, Seoul) Media Analysis Obama Inauguration Barack Obama's Jan. 20 (local time) inauguration as the 44th U.S. President received prominent coverage. Carrying the headline, "America has been reborn," conservative Chosun Ilbo's front-page report quoted the new U.S. president, in his inaugural address, as calling on Americans to unite as one nation and to begin the work of remaking America. Chosun Ilbo's Washington Bureau Chief Yang Sang-hoon described the inauguration as a "change of history," not a "change of government." Other newspapers, including right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo and conservative Dong-a Ilbo, also quoted Obama as stressing "new era of responsibility," optimism and his promise for a new America. Conservative Chosun Ilbo editorialized: "President Obama's top priority, economic recovery, can gain momentum when it is pursued within the framework of international cooperation. Recently, important figures in the Obama Administration, including Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton, raised the need to renegotiate the KORUS FTA on the pretext of protecting the U.S. auto industry, sparking concerns that the new U.S. administration might be headed for 'protectionism.' As seen in the Great Depression in 1934, competitive protectionism among countries only aggravates an economic crisis. The U.S. should show leadership in establishing a global trade structure that is more open than now. The same goes for the North Korean nuclear issue. In the run-up to the launch of the Obama Administration, Pyongyang has been launching various campaigns to assert itself. The ROK and U.S. governments should start a dialogue regarding the nuclear issue and a new vision of the ROK-U.S. alliance as early as possible." Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo's editorial called Obama's inauguration a "historic event" indicating that the U.S. has taken a first step toward a new era of "change and hope," leaving behind the past marked by discord between races and ideologies and political enemies, and argued: "For Koreans, the North Korea nuclear issue and the pending KORUS FTA are of the utmost interest. The U.S. should try to balance resolving the North's nuclear issue through close cooperation with the ROK while at the same time adopting a tough diplomatic stance. The Obama Administration needs to decide whether delaying ratification of the bilateral trade deal and pursuing protectionism will serve U.S. national interests and the spirit of the ROK-U.S. alliance." Moderate Hankook Ilbo commented in an editorial: "The reason why countries around the world welcome Obama's inauguration is that they sincerely hope that he will overcome the economic crisis and lead the world toward peace and stability by realizing his slogan of 'bold hope' and 'change.'" Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "Officials from the Obama camp agree to resolve pending North Korean issues comprehensively, which range from the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear programs, normalization of U.S. - North Korea relations, economic and energy aid to the North, and establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Given this, the incoming administration should enter into negotiations with North Korea after confirming the North's willingness to resolve the problem by exchanging special envoys with the communist regime. If there is prompt progress on the nuclear issue, it would be easy for the Obama Administration to focus on other international issues, including the Middle East conflict." Meanwhile, conservative Chosun Ilbo noted in an inside-page report that Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State-designate for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Wallace Gregson, the nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and Jeffrey Bader, a Senior National Security Council Adviser-designate for Asian Affairs will handle issues concerning the Korean Peninsula under the Obama Administration, and commented: "Although they maintain close relations with their Korean acquaintances and are well aware of the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance, greater importance will likely be given to China and Japan, because Campbell and Gregson are known as Japan experts and Bader as a China specialist." The report went on to speculate: "During the Bush Administration, China and Japan were apparently unhappy because Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill had been Ambassador to Seoul, but during the Obama Administration, it could be the ROK that feels left out." In a related development, Chosun Ilbo's Washington Correspondent Lee Ha-won wrote: "USG officials have said that there is not much difference between an alliance and a partnership. Some experts also argue that it is unreasonable to compare the ROK-U.S. alliance with Japan, which deepened its relationship with America through the 1996 U.S.-Japan Joint Declaration on Security. However, it would be undesirable if the ROK was habitually being described not as a sworn ally but a mere partner. The ROK and the U.S. agreed to upgrade their relationship to a '21st century strategic partnership' at their Camp David summit in April last year. However, that was mere rhetoric. The fact that we dispatched 3,000-plus troops to Iraq and Afghanistan to assist the U.S. in its E 'war on terror' is already being forgotten in America. The ROK ranked second only to Britain in troop deployment, but the U.S treatment of Japan and Australia, both of which dispatched less than 1,000 troops each and ranked fifth and eighth, is rather different." North Korea The ROK media gave wide attention to ROK Deputy Nuclear Envoy Hwang Joon-kook's return to Seoul yesterday from his trip to North Korea during which he discussed with North Korean officials Seoul's possible purchase of unused fuel rods stored at the North's main nuclear facilities at Yongbyon. The ROK envoy, however, was not able to secure meetings with any of the North's senior nuclear negotiators, including the Chief North Korean Nuclear Envoy, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan. Deputy Nuclear Envoy Hwang was quoted as saying at a press briefing: "North Korea was very cooperative during the visit. We inspected three nuclear facilities that are under disablement, including the nuclear fuel rod producing factory where unused fuel rods are stored." Opinions/Editorials Good luck, President Obama (JoongAng Ilbo, January 21, 2009, Page 30) Barack Obama has been sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. The dream of America's founding fathers, that everyone is born equal, has finally come true. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party, the broad spectrum of people of various origins that make up the nation, men and women, youths and their elders, support Obama because they see in him a chance that America can change. Since winning the U.S. presidential election last November, Obama has pursued integrative leadership and embraced his political enemies. He has proven that his slogan for bipartisan politics was more than a collection of words. He has selected suitable people for his cabinet and adjusted his election pledges in response to an ever-changing world. Needless to say, Obama will have to take on the grave responsibility of executing concrete and coherent policies to unify his country. But as he has emphasized before, this responsibility should be borne on the shoulders of all Americans, not just his own. Overcoming the economic crisis is the most urgent issue he has to face. In addition, the festering Israeli-Palestinian crisis in Gaza must be resolved and at the same time, sustainable solutions must be prepared. Withdrawing troops from Iraq and intensifying the military campaign in Afghanistan must not be delayed. Resolving the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues must be resolved as soon as possible. Another urgent matter is climate change, which the U.S. has neglected so far. As these issues compete for Obama's attention, the world will watch how he exerts "smart power," a concept Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton promoted during her recent confirmation hearing. For Koreans, the North Korea nuclear issue and the pending Korea-U.S. free trade agreement are of the utmost interest. The U.S. should try to balance resolving the North's nuclear issue through close cooperation with South Korea while at the same time adopting a tough diplomatic stance. The Obama Administration needs to decide whether delaying approval of the bilateral trade deal with Korea and pursuing protectionism will serve U.S. national interests and the spirit of the Korea-U.S. alliance. It is natural that Obama prioritizes U.S. interests. Therefore we may be disappointed sometimes. However, it is clear that the U.S. cannot do everything by itself. Obama must seek ways for both America and the world to prosper in peace. We truly hope Obama's presidency will be blessed with success. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. ROK-U.S. Alliance Needs Constant Care (Chosun Ilbo, January 21, 2009, Page 30) By Washington Correspondent Lee Ha-won In U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's contribution in the July-August 2008 edition of Foreign Affairs in early June last year, I stumbled on her remarks about Asia. Titled, "Rethinking the National Interest: American Realism for a New World," she describes Japan and Australia as "alliances." Japan gets particularly high marks, for sharing values and a democratic alliance with the U.S. The ROK gets a subtly different shading. "South Korea, too, has become a global partner whose history can boast an inspiring journey from poverty and dictatorship to democracy and prosperity," she writes. At the time, I wrote about my concern that the terminology could mark a turning point. I remember discussing the matter in depth with some officials in the Bush Administration. Regrettably, the differentiation is likely to persist in the Barack Obama Administration. Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State-designate, in her Jan. 13 confirmation hearing, showed that her perception is identical to Rice's. The U.S.-Japan alliance, based on common values and mutual interests, is a core element to maintain peace and prosperity in the region, she stressed, but the ROK figures among the also-rans. "We also have crucial economic and security partnerships with the ROK, Australia, and other friends in ASEAN," she said. U.S. officials have been trying to downplay this, saying there is not much difference between an alliance and a partnership. Some experts argue it is unreasonable to compare the Seoul-Washington alliance with Japan, which deepened its relationship with America through the 1996 U.S.-Japan Joint Declaration on Security. But it would be undesirable if the ROK was habitually being described not as a sworn ally but a mere partner. That Clinton differentiated the ROK from Japan as her predecessor means Seoul has yet to recover credibility in U.S. eyes. The ROK and the U.S. agreed to upgrade their relationship to a "21st century strategic partnership" at their Camp David summit in April last year. But that was mere rhetoric. Officials here claimed that was taking the alliance to a whole new level from the strained relations of the Roh Moo-hyun Administration. But nearly a year later, nothing specific has happened. The fact that we dispatched 3,000-plus troops to Iraq and Afghanistan to assist the U.S. in its "war on terror" is already being forgotten in America. The ROK ranked second only to Britain in troop deployment, but the U.S treatment of Japan and Australia, both of which dispatched less than 1,000 troops each and ranked fifth and eighth, is rather different. George Schultz, Reagan's Secretary of State, likened diplomacy between friendly countries to gardening, requiring constant attention and weeding out of insignificant issues. Now, the Obama Administration is taking office. It is time for the ROKG to examine if it has neglected to care for the ROK-U.S. alliance by assuming that declaring the "strategic alliance" was all that needed to be done for the garden. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. High Expectations for Obama's Era (Hankook Ilbo, January 21, 2009, Page 39) Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States early this morning amid more hearty cheers and higher public expectations than any of his predecessors have ever had. Although the symbolic significance of President Obama as the first African-American President in U.S. history made people all the more emotional, the reason why countries around the world welcome him is not that they blindly admire his success story. Rather, it is because they sincerely hope to see President Obama overcoming the economic crisis and leading the world toward security and peace by realizing his slogans of "hope" and "change." His "pragmatism and balance" are expected to be prominent in U.S. foreign policy. Reflecting on the unilateralism of the Bush Administration, President Obama emphasizes multilateralism and international cooperation. In order to address global issues, such as climate change, weapons of mass destruction, international finance and trade order, he gives priority to a compromise with enemies as well as allies. Furthermore, he has presented the concept of "power of balance" as the basic principle for U.S. foreign policy. This concept is not clear, but it is noteworthy that (Secretary of State-designate Clinton) recently said, "America cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own, and the world cannot solve them without America." This indicates that the Obama Administration will focus on overcoming the crisis facing the U.S., while not neglecting to keep its leading status and interest in the areas of security and trade. This can be more challenging to us. We should be thoroughly prepared for a change, pinning our hopes on the success of the incoming President and a brand new start of the United States. A New Beginning for America (Chosun Ilbo, January 21, 2009, Page 31) President Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States on Monday. Close to two million people went to Washington D.C. to witness his inauguration, demonstrating the level of interest in America's first African American president and the expectations of the U.S. public in his ability to guide the country out of its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. According to a poll in 17 countries by the BBC, positive expectations of the United States have risen 20 percentage points compared to last year, to 67 percent. Dissatisfaction and disappointment with the outgoing Bush Administration, which divided the world according to America's standard of good and evil and attempted to force America's will onto other countries, has led to high hopes for Obama, who has criticized the "unilateral diplomacy" of outgoing President George W. Bush. After the euphoria of the inauguration has calmed down and Obama enters the Oval Office of the White House on 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue, a number of tasks, both big and small, await him at his desk. The most pressing is to recover America's leadership. Even though it is bogged down in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan amid an unprecedented global economic crisis, the U.S. is still the world's most powerful nation and will maintain that status for a significant length of time. Many people say the U.S. is in decline, but nobody is able to project what the world will be like after the American era. Economic recovery, which is the top priority of Obama, can gain momentum if it is achieved within the framework of global cooperation. Recently, worries have surfaced over a possible protectionist stance by the new U.S. administration, following comments by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for a renegotiation of the ROK-U.S. Free Trade Agreement to protect the American auto industry. As was demonstrated during the Great Depression in 1934, protectionist policies by countries around the world can only exacerbate the economic crisis. The U.S. must show leadership in creating a more open global trade system. And the world does not move according to the Obama timetable. That is particularly true for the North Korean nuclear problem. North Korea has already made various gestures to bring itself to the world's attention in time for the inauguration of the new U.S. president. Seoul and Washington must waste no time in beginning talks over a new vision for the bilateral alliance and over the North Korean nuclear standoff. There must be no repeat of the mistakes made in March of 1993 by the newly inaugurated administrations in Seoul and Washington after North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. A New America, A New World (Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 21, 2009, Page 27) There are high hopes in the United States for President Barack Obama, who was sworn in well before sunrise in Korea. His domestic approval rating is above 80 percent, the highest for any president right before being inaugurated. An opinion survey in 17 countries preformed by the BBC indicated that 67 percent of respondents think the United States will move to improve its relations with the world, up from the 47 percent who said the same six months ago. Excluding Japan and Russia, more than 50 percent shared that view. The rise in that perception was particularly sharp in the Islamic world. This hope is for President Obama a great asset and also a form of debt. As someone who was elected on the promise of change, he now has a responsibility to create a new America and a new world. The historic mission he bears on his shoulders largely falls into three categories. First, he must create an economic order that is a new alternative to the bankrupt neoliberal system. He has to change the economic system so that it supports the just and sustainable coexistence and development of diverse economic actors. Secondly, he needs to effectively resolve international concerns that include the Middle East and the North Korean nuclear issue. Multi-party, realpolitik diplomacy that does not insist on unilateral supremacy will be what supports the establishment of future-oriented international relationships. Finally, he must endeavor to spread the ideal of a fair and equal society in the United States and abroad. This will fit well with his identity as America's first African-American President. As noted by Obama's designee for Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the North Korean nuclear issue is an "urgent" one. His advisers are said to share a favorable view of a "package solution" that includes Pyongyang disarming itself of its nuclear capabilities, normalized ties between the United States and North Korea, energy and economic aid for North Korea, and the establishment of a peace regime for the Korean Peninsula. That being the case, the shortcut to progress would be exchanging mutually trustworthy special emissaries to confirm each side's intentions and then immediately entering into negotiations with the North Koreans. The earlier that sense can begin to be made on the North Korean nuclear issue, the easier it will become for Obama to concentrate on other international issues like the Middle East. The start of the Obama Administration carries significant meaning as the start of a new era of progressivism in modern world politics. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that only progressive answers can resolve difficult problems like the financial crisis, create jobs, and respond to global warming. But hardened customs and resistance from the Washington elite could become big obstacles to achieving the "audacity of hope" of which Obama so often speaks. He needs to pursue reconciliation but also have the courage and wisdom to change reality, and to do so with a clear vision. More than anything else, we would hope that he uses his assets to change America and win the world's confidence. * This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version. Stephens 1