VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #0215/01 0410805
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 100805Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3208
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 8095
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC//DDI/OEA//
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//FPA//
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DB-Z//

UNCLAS SEOUL 000215 
 
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 - February 10, 2009 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
¶1. Messages We Should Deliver to Secretary Clinton 
(Dong-a Ilbo, February 10, 2009, Page 31) 
¶2. What Clinton Has Packed for a Visit to Seoul 
(Chosun Ilbo, February 10, 2009, Page 31) 
 
 
Top Headlines 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye Ilbo, Seoul 
Shinmun, All TVs, All Internet Media 
Prosecutors Indict 20 Protesters for Causing Last Month's Deadly 
Fire at Yongsan Construction Site, 
while Clearing Police of Any Wrongdoing 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Police Chief-Designate Kim Seok-ki Expected to Step down Today 
Taking Responsibility for "Yongsan Tragedy" 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
EU Poised to Fine ROK Companies for Price Fixing 
 
 
Domestic Developments 
 
¶1. USFK Commander Gen. Walter Sharp, in a Feb. 9 speech organized by 
the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Seoul, said that the U.S. and 
the ROK have detailed plans to deal with any contingency situations 
in North Korea, including humanitarian disasters, a civil war or 
potential loss of control of its nuclear weapons. (JoongAng, Dong-a, 
Hankook, Segye, Seoul, all TVs, VoiceofPeople) 
 
¶2. According to a USFK source, the U.S. will deploy an F-16 fleet 
from Japan later this month to replace a squadron of Apache attack 
helicopters scheduled to be relocated out of the ROK next month. 
(JoongAng, KBS) 
 
¶3. It was learned yesterday that the ROKG signed a contract with a 
U.S. lobbying firm late last year in an effort to facilitate the 
U.S. Congress' ratification of the KORUS FTA. (Hankyoreh, Segye, 
Pressian) 
 
 
International News 
 
¶1. According to diplomatic sources in Beijing, North Korean leader 
Kim Jong-il apparently did not have brain surgery, although he has 
been rumored to be seriously ill. The sources said that Wang Jiarui, 
Director of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese 
Communist Party, examined the North Korean leader carefully when he 
visited Pyongyang on Jan. 23 but that he found no telltale signs of 
brain surgery. (Chosun, Dong-a, Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul, all TVs) 
Media Analysis 
 
Secretary Clinton's Visit to Asia 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo's Senior Reporter Kang In-sun observed: 
"Secretary Hillary Clinton would not bring specific agenda items to 
her first visit to Asia.  Instead, she would likely focus on 
creating an atmosphere in which other countries feel inclined to 
work together with a new U.S. under President Obama.  After all, 
Obama's message is that a greater number of countries should share 
responsibilities and burdens in resolving issues facing the 
international community.  In this sense, Clinton's mission during 
her first trip abroad as Secretary of State may be to make Asian 
countries feel inclined to volunteer to share such burdens." 
 
 
A commentary in conservative Dong-a Ilbo, meanwhile, stated: "During 
Secretary Clinton's upcoming visit, the ROKG should show that the 
vision and strategy of the Lee Myung-bak Administration's pragmatic 
diplomacy squares with the Obama Administration's initiative for a 
new world order.  The ROKG should also express its willingness to 
actively participate in and contribute to the Obama Administration's 
pursuit of global co-prosperity.  Still, we need to express our 
concern over the direct diplomacy that the Obama Administration has 
emphasized.  Although we share the view that direct talks with enemy 
states may reinvigorate the process of resolving issues, we should 
stress the fact that if the North Korean nuclear issue is not 
completely resolved, it will not only bring instability to the 
Korean Peninsula but also shake the foundation of the Nuclear 
Non-Proliferation Treaty." 
 
North Korea 
Citing diplomatic sources in Beijing, most of the ROK media reported 
that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il apparently did not have brain 
surgery, although he has been rumored to be seriously ill.  The 
sources were quoted as saying that Wang Jiarui, Director of the 
International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, 
examined the North Korean leader carefully when he visited Pyongyang 
on Jan. 23 but that he found no telltale signs of brain surgery. 
 
KBS TV gave attention to remarks in Seoul by a group of U.S. 
experts, who recently visited North Korea: "The Chief North Korean 
Delegate to the Six-Party Talks, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan, 
stressed that everything has changed since North Korea conducted a 
nuclear test in October, 2006 and that North Korea should be 
recognized as a de facto nuclear power." 
 
USFK Commander Gen. Walter Sharp was widely quoted as saying in a 
Feb. 9 speech organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club in 
Seoul: "The U.S. and the ROK have detailed plans to deal with any 
contingency situations in North Korea, including humanitarian 
disasters, a civil war or potential loss of control of its nuclear 
weapons." 
 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
Messages We Should Deliver to Secretary Clinton 
(Dong-a Ilbo, February 10, 2009, Page 31) 
 
By Hong Gyu-duck, Dean of Social Sciences at Sookmyung Women's 
University 
 
New U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Seoul will 
become a very important event that will determine the future of the 
ROK and the U.S. 
 
Particularly because the visit comes amid a series of threats from 
the North, it is all the more valuable.  With global attention 
focused on Secretary Clinton's every move, the ROK foreign and 
security team should go beyond a simple exchange of greetings and 
give Secretary Clinton a strong impression about what the ROK's 
strategic position is. 
 
Seoul should set out a long-term vision for the ROK-U.S. alliance. 
 
Although President Lee Myung-bak and former U.S. President George W. 
Bush proclaimed the ROK-U.S. strategic alliance for the twenty-first 
century during the Camp David summit last April, there have been no 
specific discussions about how to develop such an alliance. 
 
The U.S. is curious about what contributions the ROK can make to the 
strategic alliance.  If the U.S. can talk the ROK into making any 
possible contributions to the alliance during Secretary Clinton's 
upcoming visit, the U.S. would consider the visit a success. 
 
It is the duty of the Blue House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
and Trade to flesh out the near-blank concept of the strategic 
alliance and come up with actions plans.  However, they should never 
be in a hurry.  It is more important to lay out our strategic vision 
and express our determination than to make specific promises.  We 
just need to show our confidence and imagination in dealing with the 
North Korean issue and the international security situation. 
 
As far as the manner in which messages to Secretary Clinton should 
be delivered, the briefer, the better.  Seoul only needs to assure 
Secretary Clinton that the ROK is strategically beneficial to the 
foreign policy of the Barack Obama Administration, and convey its 
concern over flaws in the former Bush Administration's North Korea 
policy. 
 
While showing Secretary Clinton that the vision and strategy of  Lee 
Myung-bak Administration's pragmatic diplomacy coincides with Obama 
Administration's initiative for a new world order, the ROKG should 
also express its willingness to actively participate in and 
contribute to the Obama Administration's pursuit of global 
co-prosperity. 
 
Still, we need to express our concern over the direct diplomacy that 
Obama Administration has emphasized.  Although we share the view 
that direct talks with enemy states may reinvigorate the process of 
resolving issues, we should stress the fact that if the North Korean 
nuclear issue is not completely resolved, it will not only bring 
instability to the Korean Peninsula but also break down the 
foundation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 
 
The ROKG should also point out that although it fully cooperated 
with the U.S. to use the same language in foreign policy dealings, 
Washington's approach toward the North strayed away from principle 
in the waning days of the Bush Administration.  We should also 
clearly indicate how the U.S. made concessions from its original 
stance after agreeing to the three principles set by President Lee 
at the ROK-U.S. summit - the verification process must be full, 
complete and satisfactory -  and point to the dangerous results 
produced from Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill's accommodating approach. 
 
Seoul should point out that direct diplomacy with Pyongyang is 
against the principle. 
 
Some Democratic Party officials whom I recently met in Washington 
held the view that they must not be deceived by the North twice. 
They forecast that Secretary Clinton's North Korea policy may not be 
as progressive as expected. 
 
Especially, North Korea's offensive and missile threat against the 
South is warning the U.S. Government and people against an 
incautious approach toward the North.  It is noteworthy that 
President Obama's first action was to impose economic sanctions 
against North Korea and that Under Secretary of Treasury for 
Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey, who tightened 
North Korea's financial transactions at Banco Delta Asia, will stay 
in office. 
 
In this regard, while cautioning against the optimistic elements 
within the Obama Administration, the ROKG should present a 
comprehensive long-term vision of the development and reconstruction 
of North Korea and persuade (Washington) that denuclearization of 
North Korea should not be subject to compromise. 
 
 
What Clinton Has Packed for a Visit to Seoul 
(Chosun Ilbo, February 10, 2009, Page 31) 
 
Late last year when U.S. Senators John Kerry and Hillary Clinton 
were mentioned as a candidate for the next Secretary of State, a 
U.S. columnist said Clinton is more qualified.  By his reasoning, 
Kerry would be in the list of top ten senators with whom you would 
not want to have tea.  Meanwhile, Clinton would recognize any one 
she met before (even) a long time ago and engage in a heated debate 
over diverse subjects. 
 
Hillary Clinton possesses unyielding tenacity allowing her even to 
go through the daunting task of engaging in Middle East peace talks 
for six months.  Furthermore, she holds firm control over the 
organization and thus is unlikely to (lose control over foreign 
policy-making such as)the former Secretary of State Powell's loss of 
control to former Vice President Cheney. 
 
What is more important is Clinton's international popularity.  She 
is a well-known figure who was almost destined to become America's 
first female president in history.  Also, as a First Lady and 
Senator, she visited more than 80 countries, garnering great 
attention.  She is more suited than anyone to restore U.S. image 
damaged during the Bush Administration. 
 
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary will visit ROK on Feb. 19 and 20. 
She is scheduled to have a luncheon meeting with President Lee 
Myung-bak.  Also, she is aiming to meet female dignitaries.  A 
traditional venue for the first overseas visit by the U.S. State 
Secretary was Europe or Middle East, but Clinton chose Asia. 
 
What kind of agenda items did Obama have placed in Clinton's 
suitcase?  Officially, the items include global financial crisis and 
climate change.  An article Obama contributed in 2007 to Foreign 
Affairs, an influential journal on foreign policy, sheds light on 
his approach.  Obama said he would establish a more effective frame 
in Asia.  He calls for a comprehensive mechanism capable of dealing 
with issues from terrorism in Philippines to bird flu in Indonesia, 
beyond bilateral talks, occasional summit talks or a temporary frame 
of the Six-Party Talks. 
 
Of course, in her first visit to ROK, Clinton will not bring such 
specific agendas.  Instead, her more important goal would be to 
foster an atmosphere where Asian countries are encouraged to work 
together with a new U.S. under President Obama.  Vice President 
Joseph Biden flew to Europe this month and delivered Obama's 
favorably-received message, "It is time to press the reset button." 
Biden told European countries, its old allies, that the U.S. would 
call for more active participation from its partners. 
 
What Obama, Biden and Hillary Clinton stress repeatedly is agreement 
and cooperation from the international community. They view it as a 
priority to soothe the international society that has been fed up 
with President Bush's unilateralism and remains aloof to the U.S. 
The Obama Administration is not different from the Bush 
Administration in terms of its pursuit of displaying strong U.S. 
leadership, but it also vows to take the leadership through 
institutions, frameworks and international organizations. 
 
Clinton, an entrenched politician, puts emphasis on the political 
side of diplomacy.  If the U.S intends to recover its tainted 
leadership by strengthening alliance, having dialogue with 
antagonistic forces and handling any defiant forces properly, she 
thinks that foreign affairs should involve 'political skills'. 
 
Obama's message is that ultimately a greater number of countries 
should share responsibilities and burdens in resolving issues of the 
international society.  In this sense, Obama's diplomacy would 
require U.S. allies to share more complex and heavier burdens than 
before.   Hillary Clinton's first mission may be to somehow make 
Asian countries willing to volunteer themselves to share such 
burdens. 
 
 
Stephens 
1