SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; JANUARY 5, 2010

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SEOUL 000008 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; JANUARY 5, 2010 TOP HEADLINES -------------- Chosun Ilbo, All TVs President Lee Proposes Liaison Offices with N. Korea JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun Record Snowfall Causes Capital Chaos DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS -------------- President Lee Myung-bak, in a Jan. 4 New Year's address, expressed his desire for a "new turning point" in inter-Korean relations. He proposed establishing channels for dialogue between the two Koreas in order to have talks on a regular basis. (All) President Lee also indicated his willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, citing recent changes in the North's attitude toward ties with the ROK. Pyongyang had stressed the need for improving ties with Seoul in its special New Year's editorials issued on Jan. 1. (All) INTERNATIONAL NEWS -------------- According to Free North Korea Radio, an Internet news site operated by North Korean defectors, as of midnight on Jan. 5, the entire area of Dandong, a Chinese city just across North Korea, will be under special security measure. It is noteworthy because the measure was activated amid the rising possibility that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il may soon visit China. (Chosun) MEDIA ANALYSIS -------------- -N. Korea -------------- All ROK media gave wide coverage to President Lee Myungbak's Jan. 4 New Year's address, reporting that President Lee expressed his desire for a "new turning point" in inter-Korean relations and proposed establishing channels for dialogue between the two Koreas in order to have talks on a regular basis. According to media reports, President Lee also indicated his willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, citing recent changes in the North's attitude toward ties with Seoul. Conservative Dong-a Ilbo interpreted President Lee's proposal for dialogue channels as a positive response to North Korea's suggestion to improve ties between the countries which was reported in special New Year's editorials in North Korean newspapers on Jan. 1. Conservative Chosun Ilbo quoted a key ruling camp official as commenting yesterday that it would be possible for the two Koreas to hold a summit in the first half of this year. Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized: "In order to create a new turning point in inter-Korean relations, North Korea should promptly return to the Six-Party Talks. Only if progress is made in denuclearization, will real dialogue and cooperation be possible between the two Koreas. The North's return to the Six-Party Talks should be the first step toward advancing inter-Korean dialogue and improving bilateral ties." -Tougher Checks on Flights to U.S. -------------- All media reported on the U.S. decision to conduct full-body pat-down searches of all U.S.-bound airline passengers traveling from or via 14 "terror-linked" nations. SEOUL 00000008 002 OF 002 Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "Terrorist acts of killing innocent people can be justified under no circumstances. In this regard, it is very important to share intelligence on terrorism and to tighten security measures at airports. However, what is more important is to remove the environment that fosters terrorism. No matter how enhanced airport security checks and international cooperation become, they have their own limitations to preventing terrorism. ... If the U.S. stops military intervention in Afghanistan and allows Afghans to decide their own destiny, it would help remove the calls of the Taliban and al-Qaeda for a holy war against the U.S." OPINIONS/EDITORIALS -------------- PROMOTING PEACE IS THE (BEST) LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST TERRORISM (Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 5, 2010, Page 31) As the new year begins, the international community remains caught in the nightmare of terrorism. On Christmas Day, a terrorist was arrested on a U.S.-bound airliner, and then an estimated 10 people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a CIA base in Afghanistan. The U.S. and Great Britain have tentatively closed their embassies in Yemen due to warnings of terrorist threats. As security searches of U.S.-bound passengers are intensified, airports around the world suffer due to delayed flight schedules. There is a growing concern that international terrorism, which was on the wane for a while, is once again thriving. Terrorist acts of killing innocent people can be justified under no circumstances. In this regard, it is very important to share intelligence on terrorism and to tighten security measures at airports. However, what is more important is to remove the environment that fosters terrorism. No matter how enhanced airport security checks and international cooperation become, they have their own limitations to preventing terrorism. In this case, we need to look at why the terrorist threat level has risen recently. U.S. President Barack Obama pledged that he would walk a different path than his predecessor, George Bush, who adopted a military policy in prioritizing the war on terror that included a scorched earth policy. Obama clarified that he would pull out of Iraq and seek a relationship of coexistence, not confrontation, with Islam. This attitude brought hope to all of a slightly more peaceful world. Obama's decision during his first year of his administration to boost troop strength in Afghanistan, however, has poured cold water on these hopes. No matter how many troops are sent, it will be hard to end a war while holding hands with a corrupt and incompetent Afghanistan government and an unstable Pakistani government. On the contrary, in this situation, there is the great danger that U.S. efforts could be encouraging the growth of the rebel Taliban forces and the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Local media outlets are reporting that anti-government youth are joining anti-American organizations in great numbers and becoming terrorists. To root out terrorism, this situation has to be transformed. If the U.S. stops military intervention in Afghanistan and allows Afghans to decide their own destiny, it would help remove the calls of the Taliban and al-Qaeda for a holy war against the U.S. Obama argues that there is justification for a war to protect the peace, but only peace stops terrorism. (This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is identical to the Korean version.) STEPHENS