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SUBJECT: PRESS BULLETIN - January 28, 2009 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
¶1. "Goodbye Guantanamo" 
 (JoongAng Ilbo, January 24, 2009, Page 22) 
¶2. "Obama Takes a Stand against Torture" 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 24, 2009, Page 23) 
¶3. Relocation on Shaky Ground 
(JoongAng Ilbo, January 28, 2009, Page 30) 
¶4. Kim Jong-il's Growing Interest in Progress at Six-Party Talks 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 28, 2009, Page 23) 
 
 
Top Headlines 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
Young People Look to Small and Medium Companies 
for Career Development 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Is the World Ready for Korean Cuisine? 
ROK Stakes Out Its Plans to Feed Global Tastes 
with Traditional Dishes 
 
Dong-a Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun 
Further Deregulation of Real Estate Market Slated 
for February and March 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
Increasing Number of People in Their 20s Create "Social Ventures" to 
Make Money While Doing Socially Valuable Work 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
ROKG Backpedaling on Yongsan Tragedy; Main Opposition Democratic 
Party Demands an Independent Inquiry, 
Accusing ROKG of Covering Up the Truth 
 
Segye Ilbo 
Job Cuts Mount Around the Globe 
 
 
Domestic Developments 
 
¶1.  Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female justice to sit on the U.S. 
Supreme Court, said in a Jan. 22 interview that political leaders 
should respect the highest court's decisions. (Dong-a) 
 
 
International News 
 
¶1. According to China's official Xinhua News Agency, North Korean 
leader Kim Jong-il, in a Jan. 23 meeting in Pyongyang with Wang 
Jiarui, Director of the International Department in the Chinese 
Communist Party's Central Committee, said that he wants to push 
forward the stalled Six-Party Talks and that his country is making 
efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. State Department 
Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood responded during a Jan. 23 press 
briefing that the North Korean remarks were a "good thing" and that 
the U.S. wants to talk to North Korea. (Dong-a, Hankook, all TVs) 
 
¶2. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's first son, Kim Jong-nam, told 
reporters in Beijing, China on Jan. 24 that it is entirely up to his 
father who succeeds him. The younger Kim was quoted as saying: "No 
one can say for sure about who could possibly replace my father. 
Only father can make the decision." (All) 
 
¶3. In a related development, a source in diplomatic circles 
commented that Kim Jong-nam's remarks seemed intended to show the 
world that Kim Jong-il remains in control as leader of his country. 
(Chosun) Another speculation is that the younger Kim might be trying 
to make his presence felt in a competition to succeed his father 
amid reports that the North Korean leader, driven by his poor health 
condition, has designated his third son, Jung-un, as his successor. 
(JoongAng) 
 
 
Media Analysis 
 
North Korea 
Most of the ROK media today and over the lunar New Year's holidays 
gave prominent attention to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's Jan. 
23 meeting in Pyongyang with Wang Jiarui, the Chinese Communist 
Party's International Department Director.  The ROK media noted that 
this meeting was the North Korean leader's first reported meeting 
with a foreign official since he disappeared from public sight last 
fall after allegedly suffering a stroke.  Most coverage was focused 
on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's remarks that he wants to push 
forward the stalled Six-Party Talks and that his country is making 
efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.  State Department 
Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood was also quoted as responding during a 
Jan. 23 press briefing that the North Korean remarks were a "good 
thing" and that the U.S. wants to talk to North Korea.  Conservative 
Dong-a Ilbo headlined its story: "Dialogue Mood Heightens between 
the U.S. and North Korea."  Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun 
editorialized: "This move by North Korea provides a good opportunity 
to make advances at the Six-Party Talks and in discussions to 
establish a peace regime in Northeast Asia.  The U.S. and China 
should make good use of this situation." 
 
The ROK media also gave wide attention to a report from Beijing 
quoting North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's first son, Kim Jong-nam, 
as telling reporters in Beijing, China on Jan. 24 that it is 
entirely up to his father who succeeds him.  The younger Kim was 
widely quoted as saying: "No one can say for sure about who could 
possibly replace my father. Only father can make the decision."  In 
a related development, conservative Chosun Ilbo cited a source in 
diplomatic circles as commenting that Kim Jong-nam's remarks seemed 
intended to show the world that leader Kim Jong-il remains in 
control of his country.  Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo, meanwhile, 
noted the younger Kim's encounter with the press as "highly 
unusual," and cited an ROK pundit as speculating that the younger 
Kim might be trying to make his presence felt in a competition to 
succeed his father amid reports that the North Korean leader, driven 
by his poor health condition, has designated his third son, Jung-un, 
as his successor. 
 
President Obama's Al-Arabiya Interview 
The ROK media ran inside-page reports on President Barack Obama's 
Jan. 26 interview with the Al-Arabiya satellite television network, 
quoting him as stressing the importance of "reconciling with the 
Muslim world."  Conservative Chosun Ilbo commented: "The fact that 
President Obama chose an Arabic satellite TV network for his first 
formal television interview as president reconfirms that the Middle 
East issue is the biggest concern for the new U.S. president." 
 
Shutdown of the Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo portrayed President Barack Obama's 
recent order to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba as 
drawing a clear line between himself and the failed policies of the 
previous administration, and stated in an editorial: "In a welcome 
ceremony for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President Obama 
said, 'We should bear in mind that America's power comes not only 
from military power and wealth, but from its core values.' 
Secretary of State Clinton also declared that they will begin a new 
era in American diplomacy, using 'smart diplomacy.'  These 
statements indicated that an intelligent approach to diplomacy would 
be the Obama Administration's top priority when it comes to foreign 
policy.  We wholeheartedly welcome the closure of Guantanamo as the 
Obama Administration's first step in realizing its firm beliefs, and 
displaying them to the world." 
 
Global Economy - World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland 
The ROK media gave play to the upcoming annual Davos forum slated to 
open on January 28, with some 40 world leaders taking part.  Most of 
the ROK media, however, commented that there would be limits to what 
the World Economic Forum can achieve, because the top financial 
officials of the new U.S. administration, who hold the key to 
finding solutions to the current crisis, will not participate 
because they are occupied by the crisis or by the confirmation 
process at home. 
 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
"Goodbye Guantanamo" 
(JoongAng Ilbo, January 24, 2009, Page 22) 
 
"By ordering the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba, 
President Barack Obama has drawn a clear line between himself and 
the failed policies of the previous administration.  He also 
distanced himself from the gross human rights violations perpetrated 
under the guise of the war on terror.  In a welcome ceremony for 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President Obama stated, 'We 
should bear in mind that America's power comes not only from 
military power and wealth, but from its core values.'  Secretary of 
State Clinton also declared that they will begin a new era in 
American diplomacy, using 'smart diplomacy.'  These statements 
indicate that an intelligent approach to diplomacy would be the 
Obama Administration's top priority when it comes to foreign policy. 
 We wholeheartedly welcome the closure of Guantanamo as the Obama 
Administration's first step in realizing its firm beliefs, and 
displaying them to the world." 
 
 
"Obama Takes a Stand against Torture" 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 24, 2009, Page 23) 
 
"The first thing U.S. President Barack Obama did after being 
inaugurated was to issue executive orders closing the detention 
center at Guantanamo Bay and prohibit the use of torture.  This is 
significant in that it affirms that protecting human rights can 
never take a back seat to security for any reason.  We truly hope to 
see this mindset take root quickly so as to increase the 
international community's confidence in the U.S.  Furthermore we 
hope these efforts by President Obama lead to a fundamental review 
of the war on terror so that he can work on the creation of a new 
international order, one that seeks cooperation and common 
prosperity instead of conflict and military confrontation." 
 
 
Relocation on Shaky Ground 
(JoongAng Ilbo, January 28, 2009, Page 30) 
 
Four years have passed since Korea and the United States agreed to 
transfer U.S. troops to Pyeongtaek, but the completion date and 
costs have not been decided yet.  No one has given a reasonable 
explanation for the delay.  The ROK and the U.S. agreed to move the 
Yongsan Garrison in Seoul by the end of 2014, but failed to reach an 
agreement on the relocation of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division.  The 
delay of the project is causing damage to affected areas such as 
Pyeongtaek and Dongducheon. 
 
There are no plausible explanations for the delay, even though it 
was inevitable that the relocation of the Yongsan Garrison could not 
be completed by the end of 2008 due to the consistent opposition of 
anti-American forces.  As the transfer was delayed, the Korean 
government said in December 2006 that it wanted to postpone the 
transfer from 2008 to four or five years later. The United States 
strongly refused at first but in the end reluctantly accepted the 
proposal.  In May 2007, a high-ranking U.S. defense official even 
said it was worrisome that the delay of the transfer of U.S. troops 
might damage the Korea-U.S. alliance.  It was the same in June last 
year when the Korean government talked about postponing the shift by 
three additional years. 
 
However, the situation has been reversed recently.  Seoul proposed 
to complete the transfer of the Second Division by 2014, but 
Washington wanted to postpone it to later than 2016. This is related 
to defense expenditures that the ROK provides to the United States 
annually. Late last year, Seoul and Washington agreed that part of 
the defense expenditure could be used for the transfer of U.S. 
troops.  Therefore, the longer the transfer takes, the more costs 
the United States can allocate to the defense expenditures.  This 
clearly shows that the two countries made an agreement on the 
transfer without making detailed plans on who would pay for the job 
and how. 
 
The behavior of the agency in the Korean Ministry of National 
Defense that is responsible for overseeing the transfer of U.S. 
troops has been awkward.  The body was established only two and a 
half years ago but has gone through four chairmen and is now has its 
fifth.  Each chairman was in the post for an average of six months. 
Before they had barely begun to understand their job they were 
replaced.  One chairman even provoked confusion over how the complex 
had to be built.  Initially, the new base was to be built under a 
turn-key contract.  As the agency unsuccessfully tried to change the 
system, the period of construction was delayed for about a year.  As 
Seoul will pay for the relocation costs, it should have the right to 
decide whether to build a hospital or a communication center inside 
the base.  But it is said that the right was given to the United 
States. 
 
The ROK and the U.S. put large amounts of money exceeding 10 
trillion won into the relocation project, so the plan should not be 
poorly implemented.  Even if Seoul and Washington reach an agreement 
to complete the relocation by the end of 2014 or 2016, it is 6 years 
behind the original schedule.  Even when a small road is paved in a 
little town, the job is done more carefully than that. 
 
Above all, the Korean Ministry of National Defense's agency 
responsible for the transfer of U.S. troops should be overhauled 
completely.  After the Lieutenant General took the helm at the 
agency, some voiced their concerns that the principle of "open 
appointment" was not respected in the appointment process.  Given 
this, it is not desirable for the Ministry of National Defense, 
which changes policy direction constantly,, to be in charge of the 
relocation.  The Korean government should set up a separate 
organization in charge of the relocation of U.S. military bases in 
Korea, and review its deadline, costs, and detailed procedure to 
systemically implement the plan. 
 
* We have compared the English version on the website with the 
Korean version and made some changes to make them identical. 
 
 
Kim Jong-il's Growing Interest in Progress 
at Six-Party Talks 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 28, 2009, Page 23) 
 
North Korean National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il met 
with Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the 
Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Friday and expressed 
interest in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace 
in Northeast Asia.  It was the first time he had met with a 
high-level foreign delegation since rumors that he was in poor 
health emerged in the fall of last year.  It would appear that he is 
trying to set a new stage for his country on the occasion of the 
start of the Obama Administration in the United States. 
 
The new environment can be seen in three areas.  The first would be 
what looks like the formation of an atmosphere for direct 
negotiation between the United States and North Korea.  "We are 
working for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," said Kim. 
 "I hope that Chinese cooperation and harmony will lead to progress 
in the Six-Party Talks."  That kind of talk is going to put new 
energy into the stalemated Six-Party process.  The U.S. State 
Department said it welcomed the comments, and that it is going to 
move to review policy towards Pyongyang.  That is a friendly 
response.  When Kim said he "hopes to see us moving forward 
peacefully with the countries that are related to the process," you 
hear his desire to improve relations with Washington. 
 
Then there would be the part about China's role.  In meeting with 
Wang, you saw how Kim has hopes for China's involvement.  Wang 
personally delivered a letter from Chinese leader Hu Jintao, so he 
was, for all practical purposes, a special emissary, and Kim 
accepted Hu's invitation to visit Beijing.  The year 2009 marks the 
60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations 
between Pyongyang and Beijing, and the last time Kim visited China 
was in January 2006.  He expressed appreciation for the constructive 
role China has played as the host nation of the Six-Party Talks. 
China, in turn, has the same interests since it wants to be able to 
speak with a bigger voice in matters of the Korean Peninsula and 
Northeast Asia. 
 
Finally, there is Kim's expression of an interest in better 
inter-Korean relations.  "I do not want to see tensions form in the 
political situation on the peninsula," he said.  This would mean 
that while he is going to respond to Seoul's policies towards the 
North, he does not want to see a ruinous relationship.  And he put 
pressure on the South when he said he hopes it would actively 
respect the June 15 and October 4 declarations. 
 
This shift on the part of North Korea provides an opportunity to 
make advances at the Six-Party Talks and in discussing a peace 
regime for the Northeast Asian region.  It has been confirmed that 
the rumors of Kim being in poor health are weak in their basis.  The 
United States and China will make proactive use of this situation. 
The biggest obstacle for the South to overcome is inter-Korean 
relations.  The relationship is at an impasse right now, giving 
Seoul increasingly less room in which to maneuver.  It also hurts 
our ability to respond if a contingency occurs.  Now is the time for 
Seoul to wholly review its policies towards Pyongyang. 
 
* This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version. 
 
 
Stephens 
1