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SUBJECT: PRESS BULLETIN - January 22, 2009 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
 
¶1. Korean Peninsula Initiative in Obama's Inaugural Address (Chosun 
Ilbo, January 22, 2009, Page 26) 
¶2. A Profoundly Changed Foreign Policy 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 22, 2009, Page 23) 
¶3. Reasons Why Obamanomics Should Not End in Failure (Hankook Ilbo, 
January 22, 2009, Page 39) 
¶4. Messages of "Unity, Responsibility and Remaking" in Obama's 
Inaugural Address Are What the ROK Must Also Adopt 
(Dong-a Ilbo, January 22, 2009, Page 27) 
 
 
Features 
 
¶5. Consumer Anxiety Over U.S. Beef Still Lingering 
(Dong-a Ilbo, January 22, 2009, Page B4) 
 
 
Top Headlines 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, All TVs 
Blue House Considers Withdrawing Nomination of Seoul Police Chief 
Kim Seok-ki as New Chief of National Police Agency Over Deaths of 
Six People in Fire During Police-Tenant Standoff 
 
JoongAng Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo 
Prosecutors: A Police SWAT Team was Ordered to Evict Protesters 
Occupying the Site of the Incident, Even Though Police were Aware 
that Inflammable Materials were 
Present at the Scene 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrants for Five to Six Protesters 
for Sprinkling Paint Thinner and Throwing Molotov Cocktails 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
SWAT Team Dispatched Just Three and a Half Hours 
After Protesters' Sit-in Started 
 
Segye Ilbo 
Korea Development Bank's (KDB) Planned Sale of Daewoo Shipbuilding 
to Hanwha Group Falls Apart; Both Hanwha and Daewoo Creditor KDB 
Faced with Sizable Losses 
and Uncertainty 
 
 
Domestic Developments 
 
¶1. Russian Ambassador to the ROK Gleb Ivashentsov, in a Jan. 21 
speech in Seoul, said that Russia is against any North Korean 
threats to the ROK. He went on to say that Russia does not regard 
North Korea as a nuclear state and that it will make efforts to get 
North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. (Hankook) 
 
 
International News 
 
¶1. According to CNN, in one of his first actions as President, 
President Barack Obama yesterday ordered military prosecutors to 
seek a 120-day suspension of legal proceedings involving prisoners 
at Guantanamo Bay. (Chosun, Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul) 
 
¶2. The (North) Korean Central News Agency yesterday reported on 
Obama's inauguration as the 44th U.S. President. Given that North 
Korea had reported on President Bush's inauguration three days after 
the event, yesterday's report was unusually prompt. (JoongAng) 
 
¶3. According to (North) Korean Central TV, Wang Jiarui, Director of 
the International Department of the Central Committee of the 
Communist Party of China, visited North Korea yesterday. The North's 
state-controlled media did not mention his schedule and the purpose 
of his visit. Attention was focused on whether the senior Chinese 
official will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. (Chosun, 
Dong-a) 
Media Analysis 
 
Obama Inauguration 
President Obama's inauguration continued to draw prominent media 
attention.  Most of the ROK media observed that his inauguration 
triggered a sense of excitement and anticipation across the world 
but that Obama may have little time to savor the moment, because he 
must address grave challenges faced by his embattled country - two 
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Middle East conflict, terrorism 
threats, massive home foreclosures, job losses and shuttered 
businesses, among them.  Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo carried an 
inside-page report entitled "Obama Era has Opened; KORUS FTA, Troop 
Deployment to Afghanistan Likely to Test ROK-U.S. Ties." 
Conservative Dong-a Ilbo editorialized: "The message that President 
Obama sent to the Korean Peninsula is serious.  He said that he 
'will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat.'  He also 
warned, 'To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit 
and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of 
history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to 
unclench your fist.'  Through these statements, it can be said that 
he has made it clear that he will not have dialogue for the sake of 
dialogue, but only when North Korea gives up its nuclear ambitions 
will the U.S. have dialogue."  Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun's 
editorial, meanwhile, argued: "The great principle of U.S. foreign 
policy presented by President Obama is cooperation and 
understanding.  This means that the U.S, while taking a cautious 
approach to using military force, will seek global cooperation by 
enhancing its legitimacy and setting a good example.  Regarding the 
North Korean nuclear issue, he vowed to 'work tirelessly to lessen 
the nuclear threat with old friends and former foes.'  This 
statement reaffirms the principle of direct negotiations between the 
North and the U.S.  Pyongyang should not miss this opportunity.... 
Washington's forward-looking shift in foreign policy can offer us 
many opportunities.  This is all the more so because the U.S. has 
decided to take this path after its painful trials and errors over 
the past eight years.  Now is the time for us to go beyond the 
hackneyed slogan of 'strengthening the ROK-U.S. alliance' and to put 
our heads together for a peaceful and prosperous Korean Peninsula 
and Northeast Asia and a better world."  Moderate Hankook Ilbo 
editorialized: "The problem lies in how successfully Obama will put 
his words into practice.  The success or failure of the Obama 
Administration directly affects the life of the Korean people.  This 
is why we hope that the incoming administration, which is hailed as 
a 'change of history,' fulfills its promise and stays the course, 
faced with any formidable challenges in the future." 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo gave attention to the (North) Korean 
Central News Agency's report yesterday on Obama's inauguration. 
JoongAng described it as "unusually prompt," given that North Korea 
had reported President Bush's inauguration three days after the 
event. 
 
North Korea 
Moderate Hankook Ilbo carried a quote from Russian Ambassador to the 
ROK Gleb Ivashentsov, who said in a Jan. 21 speech in Seoul that 
Russia is against any North Korean threats to the ROK.  He was 
further quoted as saying: "Russia does not regard North Korea as a 
nuclear state and it will make efforts to get North Korea to give up 
its nuclear ambitions." 
 
Gaza 
Most of the ROK media quoted an Israeli army spokesman as saying 
that Israel completed its withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip 
early on Jan. 21.  Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo, on the other hand, 
cited foreign media in reporting that the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA) will look into a claim by Vienna-based Arab 
ambassadors that Israel may have used banned ammunition containing 
depleted uranium in Gaza attacks.  IAEA Spokeswoman Melissa Fleming 
was quoted as saying: "We will investigate the matter to the extent 
of our ability." 
 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
Korean Peninsula Initiative in Obama's Inaugural Address (Chosun 
Ilbo, January 22, 2009, Page 26) 
 
By Ha Young-sun, professor of Seoul National University 
The U.S. has to deal with both the war against terror and the 
economic downturn at the same time, so its power is diminishing now. 
 Nevertheless, the U.S. is the wealthiest nation in the world in the 
twenty-first century.  U.S. President Obama's inaugural address 
underlined the importance of recreating a United States imbued with 
hope and courage.  He stressed the "careful use of power" in 
overcoming the security crisis.  He also pointed out the need for 
laying the groundwork for growth, as well as raising the GNP and 
improving its distribution. 
 
If we look at his augural address and the Senate confirmation 
hearing of Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton, we can 
better understand how the incoming administration will affect our 
lives. 
 
In terms of the North Korean nuclear issue, the new administration's 
denuclearization goal is clearer than that of the Bush 
Administration.  At her Senate confirmation hearing, Secretary of 
State-designate Hillary Clinton said, "The U.S. will verify North 
Korea's nuclear enrichment program and Syria's nuclear technology 
proliferation as well as the Yongbyon nuclear facilities whose 
verification is now under discussion.  It will pursue tough 
diplomacy based on reality, while reviewing an opportunity to hold a 
meeting between the U.S and North Korea, within the framework of the 
Six-Party Talks."  But these efforts cannot bear fruit as long as 
the North adheres to a "Military-First Politics" based on its 
nuclear programs.  The North Korean nuclear issue needs careful 
review and international economic cooperation, as it can develop in 
a way that the U.S., North Korea, and the ROK have never expected. 
 
 
During his inaugural address, President Obama vaguely mentioned a 
new alliance order with the aim of resolving the security crisis in 
a pragmatic way amid the relatively weakening power of the U.S. 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explained the order in East Asia 
as follows: while considering Japan a cornerstone of American policy 
in Asia, the U.S. will build economic and security partnerships with 
the ROK, Australia, and ASEAN nations, based on which it will 
establish its economic and political partnership with India. 
Meanwhile, the U.S. will seek an active and cooperative relationship 
with China on strategic and economic fronts.  The future of 
U.S.-China relations is expected to be considerably influenced by 
the direction Beijing will take in its domestic and foreign 
policies.  In addition, the U.S. has made clear that it will use 
"smart power," a mixture of hard power (military and economic 
strength) and soft power (diplomacy, politics, law, culture), in its 
international relations.  Now is the time for the ROK to seriously 
consider how to manage its international relations in the Obama-led 
process of establishing order in Northeast Asia. 
 
 
A Profoundly Changed Foreign Policy 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 22, 2009, Page 23) 
 
In his inaugural address, United States President Barack Obama said 
America is a "friend of each nation and every man, woman and child 
who seeks a future of peace and dignity" and that "power alone 
cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please."  It 
was a clear farewell declaration to unilateralist foreign policy. 
We hope to see these expressions of intent on Obama's part quickly 
lead to actual policy. 
 
The overriding principles of his foreign policy are (to seek) 
greater cooperation and understanding.  Military force is to be used 
prudently while increasing American legitimacy and setting an 
example through which the United States will then seek global 
cooperation.  The first place this principle is to be applied is the 
Middle East. Obama said the United States will give responsibility 
for Iraq to the Iraqi people and strengthen the peace won with much 
difficulty in Afghanistan.  He will also activate a team of people 
to work on the Israeli-Palestinian question.  The "war on terror" 
turned into an ideological term long ago, so it was nice to have him 
not use it in his address.  But as some people have noted with 
concern already strengthening peace in Afghanistan must not be an 
excuse to strengthen military intervention there. 
 
Mentioning North Korea, he said that he would work with old friends 
and former adversaries to reduce the nuclear threat.  This statement 
reaffirms his principle of direct negotiations between Pyongyang and 
Washington.  North Korea must not lose this opportunity.  The ROK, 
too, must of course actively support that dialogue.  The Seoul 
government needs to stop its Cold War thinking and engage in a 
balanced effort to resolve issues pertaining to the Korean 
Peninsula. 
 
He called the economic crisis a "consequence of greed and 
irresponsibility on the part of some" and said that the United 
States "cannot prosper long" with a market that "favors only the 
prosperous."  This statement expresses his intent to correct much of 
what is wrong with the neoliberal order that gave birth to the 
crisis.  This could mean that economic relations could change, as 
could the situation with the ratification of the U.S.-ROK Free Trade 
Agreement, yet the Lee Myung-bak Administration continues to be 
unrealistic in its argument that the National Assembly should hurry 
to ratify the agreement.  First, an economic order that is 
sustainable and that brings benefit to the whole country should be 
created. 
 
This profoundly changed foreign policy on the part of the United 
States could for us be an opportunity, all the more so because it is 
a road the Americans are choosing after eight years of painful trial 
and error.  It is time to go beyond the usual slogans about 
strengthening the U.S.-Korea alliance, and work hard together on 
creating a peaceful and prosperous Korean Peninsula and Northeast 
Asian region and a better world. 
 
* This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version. 
 
 
Reasons Why Obamanomics Should Not End in Failure (Hankook Ilbo, 
January 22, 2009, Page 39) 
 
The inaugural address of U.S. President Barack Obama suggested 
imminent challenges and issues focused on economy and diplomacy, and 
stressed the importance of confidence and responsibility on the part 
of U.S. citizens.  The evaluation of the address was divided along 
partisan lines in the U.S.  Most investors who expected an "Obama 
Rally" might be disappointed by a significant decline in the New 
York Stock Exchange Index. 
 
The Index reflects the market's concerns about the serious economic 
challenges that should be addressed by the Obama Administration. 
President Obama said, "The state of the economy calls for action, 
bold and swift, and we will act not only to create new jobs, but to 
lay a new foundation for growth." But the market could not afford to 
pay attention to his inaugural address. 
 
The problem lies in how he successfully puts his words into 
practice.  He stressed the need for establishing infrastructures, 
promoting science and technology, the quality of health care, and 
securing new sources of energy.  His address indicates that the U.S. 
can rebuild its political leadership and economic power, as well as 
bring stability to the global economic and political order by using 
its power and spirit properly. 
 
The success or failure of the Obama Administration directly 
influences the lives of the Korean people.  This is why we hope the 
incoming administration, which is hailed as a 'change of history,' 
fulfills its promise and stays the course, despite being faced with 
any formidable challenges in the future. 
Messages of "Unity, Responsibility and Remaking" in Obama's 
 
 
Inaugural Address Are What the ROK Must Also Adopt 
(Dong-a Ilbo, January 22, 2009, Page 27) 
 
Only when North Korea unclenches its fist will we extend a hand. 
 
President Obama stated in his inaugural address, "Starting today, we 
must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work 
of remaking America."  He also said, "In the face of our common 
dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these 
timeless words.  With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the 
icy currents, and endure what storms may come."  The current 
economic crisis is a global one.  We should not forget, even for a 
moment, that a nation's economic standing will completely change 
depending upon how quickly it overcomes difficulties with 
entrepreneurship and courage. 
 
The message that President Obama sent to the Korean Peninsula is 
also serious.  He said that he "will work tirelessly to lessen the 
nuclear threat."  At present, only North Korea and Iran are posing a 
nuclear threat. He warned, "To those who cling to power through 
corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you 
are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if 
you are willing to unclench your fist."  It can be said that through 
these statements, he has made clear that he will not have dialogue 
for the sake of dialogue, but only when North Korea gives up its 
nuclear ambitions will the U.S. enter into dialogue (with North 
Korea.) 
 
President Obama stressed, "What is demanded then (in order to 
overcome new challenges facing the U.S.) is a return to these truths 
(hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and 
curiosity, loyalty and patriotism)."  These values are the force of 
progress throughout human history, and the ROK also needs them in 
¶2009. 
 
 
Features 
 
Consumer Anxiety Over U.S. Beef Still Lingering 
(Dong-a Ilbo, January 22, 2009, Page B4) 
 
By Reporter Cho Eun-ah 
 
A survey by the Nonghyup Economic Research Institute... Anxiety 
about AI in chickens has died down. 
 
Consumer anxiety over U.S. beef has not completely subsided since 
the protests against the resumption of U.S. beef imports ended six 
months ago. 
 
This is in stark contrast to consumer anxiety over chickens, which 
has almost disappeared after the avian influenza (AI) incident. 
 
According to a report on "consumption trends for livestock products 
following the U.S. beef controversy and the AI outbreak," released 
on January 21 by the Nonghyup Economic Research Institute, the 
proportion of consumers who responded, "Consumption of imported beef 
has been reduced," increased from 73.8 percent last June to 75.2 
percent last December. 
 
However, the percentage of those who said, "Consumption of domestic 
beef has been reduced," fell from 38.3 percent to 11.7 percent. 
 
In other words, while consumer sentiment toward imported beef has 
deteriorated, consumer sentiment toward domestic beef has improved. 
 
The institute carried out a survey on two different occasions, six 
months apart, to determine how much consumption patterns for 
livestock products have changed after the U.S. beef controversy and 
the bird flu outbreak.  The first survey was conducted with 680 
adults, both male and female, from June 1 to 14, and the second 
survey was conducted with 420 adults from December 1 to 14. 
 
U.S. bone-in beef began entering the ROK last July, three months 
after the ROK and the U.S. reached the beef import deal last April. 
A highly pathogenic avian influenza, which can be transmitted to 
humans, broke out last April. 
 
Meanwhile, the proportion of consumers who said that they put the 
highest priority on "origin" in buying livestock products grew 9 
percentage points during the six months, while the proportion of 
buyers who chose "price" declined by 8 percentage points. 
 
The most important criteria consumers considered in buying livestock 
products as of last December was origin, followed by sanitary 
condition, quality, freshness, and price. 
 
 
Stephens 
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