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SUBJECT: PRESS BULLETIN - February 24, 2009 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
¶1. 'Hillary's Kiss' and the Korean Peninsula 
(Hankook Ilbo, February 24, 2009, Page 38) 
 
 
Features 
 
¶2. NK Raised No. of Special Forces by 60,000: Report 
(Dong-a Ilbo, February 24, 2009, Page 6) 
¶3. Money Is the Biggest Problem; WEST Participants Should Pay a Lump 
Sum of $8,500 
(Dong-a Ilbo, February 24, 2009, Page 3) 
 
 
 
 
 
Top Headlines 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
WTO Collapsing; Countries around the World 
Raising Trade Barriers by Providing "State Subsidies" 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Federation of Korean Trade Unions Agrees 
on "Wage Freeze and Pay Reduction" 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
"Fears of Yen Appreciation;" Won-Yen Exchange Rate Hits 
a Record High of 1,600 Won Per 100 Yen 
 
Hankook Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun 
Labor, Management, Civic Groups and the Government Agree on 
Compromise to "Overcome Economic Crisis" 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Judges Met to "Protest" as Most Cases Related to "Candlelight 
Rallies" against U.S. Beef Imports were Allotted to Certain Chief 
Justice 
 
 
Domestic Developments 
 
¶1. According to the ROK's 2008 Defense White Paper published 
yesterday, North Korea in 2007 deployed ballistic missiles with a 
range of more than 3,000 -- km capable of reaching Guam, a key U.S. 
strategic base -- and has increased the number of special forces 
from 120,000 to 180,000. The North is also reportedly deploying new 
short-range surface-to-surface KN-02 missiles with a range of 160 
km. (All) 
 
¶2. A military official explained that the number of lightly-equipped 
DPRK special forces seems to have been increased so that they might 
be deployed at a quicker pace, and from all directions in order to 
overwhelm the ROK military with guerrilla strategies during the 
initial stages of any war. (Hankook) 
 
¶3. It has been learned, meanwhile, that North Korean leader Kim 
Jong-il recently inspected the area of North Hamgyeong Province, 
where the North's long-range missile base is located, for three 
consecutive days. The visit is fueling speculation that he might be 
personally encouraging the test-launch of a long-range Taepodong-2 
missile. (Chosun) 
 
¶4. Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry, in a Feb. 23 forum 
in Seoul to mark the Lee Myung-bak Administration's first 
anniversary in office, stressed the need to make it clear what price 
North Korea would pay if it develops nuclear weapons. (JoongAng) 
 
 
Media Analysis 
 
North Korea 
The ROK media gave wide attention to the Defense Ministry's 2008 
White Paper published yesterday.  Most of the media cited the 
document as observing that North Korea in 2007 deployed ballistic 
missiles with a range of more than 3,000 km -- capable of reaching 
Guam, a key U.S. strategic base -- and has increased the number of 
DPRK special forces from 120,000 to 180,000.  The White paper 
purportedly also claims that the North may have produced about 40 
kilograms of plutonium, which experts say is enough to build about 
six to seven nuclear weapons.  Moderate Hankook Ilbo quoted a 
military official as commenting that the number of lightly-equipped 
DPRK special forces seems to have been increased so that they might 
be deployed at a quicker pace, and from all directions in order to 
overwhelm the ROK military with guerrilla strategies during the 
initial stages of any war. 
 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo reported that North Korean leader Kim 
Jong-il recently inspected the area of North Hamgyeong Province, 
where the North's long-range missile base is located, for three 
consecutive days.  Chosun went on to say that this development is 
fueling speculation that he might be personally encouraging the 
test-launch of a long-range Taepodong-2 missile. 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo carried a quote from former Defense 
Secretary William Perry, who said in a Feb. 23 forum in Seoul to 
mark the Lee Myung-bak Administration's first anniversary in office: 
"It should be made clear what price North Korea would pay if it 
develops nuclear weapons." 
 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
'Hillary's Kiss' and the Korean Peninsula 
(Hankook Ilbo, February 24, 2009, Page 38) 
 
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrapped up her overseas tour 
by completing her visit to China.  She chose Asia over Europe as her 
itinerary, chiefly because the U.S. intends to expand strategic 
cooperation with China.  Therefore, the outcome of her visit may be 
evaluated based on Sino-U.S. relations. 
 
On her journey to Asia, Clinton said that she chose Asia as her fist 
overseas trip in order to deliver a message from the Obama 
Administration.  U.S. experts reckoned that she would convey a 
message that the U.S. would put the highest importance on trust and 
cooperation with Korea, China and Japan to get over the global 
economic woes and stabilize the international situation.  At a 
seminar hosted by the Brookings Institution just before Clinton's 
visit, experts recommend her to give a message that the U.S. top 
priority is to push for dialogue and cooperation with China. 
 
A commentator said that in the past the U.S went to China 'to teach' 
but now 'to kiss'.  Clinton delivered sweet kisses to China, saying 
that the world economic crisis cannot be overcome without any help 
from China.  As a quid pro quo, China announced additional purchase 
of U.S. Treasury bonds the U.S. economy has been eagerly waiting 
for. 
 
Regarding the Korean Peninsula, the experts at the Brookings 
Institution seminar viewed that she would make clear that U.S. 
policy on East Asia stems from alliance.  Unlike the past when the 
U.S. allowed the North to attempt to have direct talks with the U.S. 
while bypassing the ROK, this time her message to Seoul and 
Pyongyang would be that the U.S. would not tolerate the North's bid 
to alienate the ROK.  A change in the U.S.'s North Korea policy was 
evident when Clinton commented on the North's sensitive succession 
issue and leadership crisis, while holding the North responsible for 
straining inter-Korean relations and heightening tension. 
 
The ROK should grasp her 'alliance-first' message. 
 
Many experts in Korea held the view that when Obama professed his 
support for 'tough and direct diplomacy,' the North would attempt to 
hold direct talks with the U.S while alienating the ROK.  This 
concern raised by some people may be genuine but it mostly derives 
from their displeasure with the incumbent ROK government.  These 
experts would be better off reviewing the key principles of the 
North Korean issue rather than blaming U.S policy. 
 
 
Features 
 
NK Raised Number of Special Forces by 60,000: Report 
(Dong-a Ilbo, February 24, 2009, Page 6) 
 
 
By Reporter Yoon Sang-ho 
 
North Korea is known to have increased the number of its special 
forces by 60,000 and deployed a new type of medium-range ballistic 
missile capable of reaching northern Australia and Guam. 
 
The Defense Ministry in Seoul released its latest assessment of its 
communist neighbor to the north yesterday. 
 
The report comes amid speculation that Pyongyang is trying to 
overcome its military weakness highlighted by the joint South 
Korea-U.S. military exercises and maximize (the effectiveness of) 
its attack on the South in time of war. 
 
According to the report, the North has increased its special forces 
by 60,000 to infiltrate the South and reinforced its light infantry 
battalions to regiment level. 
 
Thus, the number of North Korea's lightly-equipped special troops 
that are focused on swift infiltration to strike U.S. and South 
Korean forces has increased to 180,000, the report said. 
 
"The North is focusing on the warfighting capacity of its special 
forces trained for night, mountain and street fighting.  The move 
shows that, according to its war strategy, the North is prepared for 
a variety of attacks on the South.  In case of war, North Korea 
apparently plans simultaneous and multi-faceted attacks after 
infiltrating the South using underground tunnels," it said. 
 
A ministry source said, "After examining the wars in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, North Korea appears to have developed new strategies to 
complement its shortfalls while reinforcing its strengths." 
 
"It appears that the aim of the North is to blur the line between 
friend and foe once a conflict erupts and nullify the advanced 
warfare capacity of the joint Korea-U.S. forces by engaging in 
guerrilla warfare." 
 
The North in 2007 also completed the deployment of brand-new 
ballistic missiles with a range of 3,000 kilometers.  The missile is 
believed to be modeled after the Soviet-era SS-N-6, a 
submarine-launched ballistic missile, and is capable of reaching 
Guam and much of Russia and India. 
 
Pyongyang has developed and test fired surface-to-surface and 
ship-to-ship missiles capable of reaching 160 kilometers in the 
Yellow Sea. 
 
The North is also said to have drastically reinforced its 
conventional military weapons. 
 
The number of tanks is estimated to have been increased to 3,900 
units, up from 3,700 in 2006; the number of multi-stage rockets (is 
estimated to have been increased) to 5,100 units from 4,800, and the 
number of guided missiles (is estimated to have been increased) to 
100 from 80 over the same period. 
 
Twenty fighter jets were added to raise the number to 840, 40 
percent of which have been deployed to warfront areas such as 
Pyongyang and Wonsan. 
 
The North Korean navy has also retrofitted a new warship and 10 
submarines, and has also developed new types of surface-to-ship and 
sea-to-surface missiles and torpedoes. 
 
The North has also completed the integration of its naval command 
through an advanced electronic network, the report said, while 
strengthening its capabilities in cyber warfare. 
 
On the North's nuclear capacity, the biennial policy report said the 
North has secured about 40 kilograms of plutonium and conducted a 
nuclear test in Oct. 2006. 
 
The report is said to have omitted the assumption that Pyongyang 
manufactured one or two nuclear weapons in order to avoid the 
controversy of recognizing the North as a nuclear power. 
 
* This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version. 
 
 
Money Is the Biggest Problem; WEST Participants Should Pay a Lump 
Sum of $8,500 
(Dong-a Ilbo, February 24, 2009, Page 3) 
 
By Reporter Hwang Kyu-in 
 
Most participants took out a bank loan to pay the fee. 
 
Participants say, "The selection schedule should be fixed, and we 
hope to take units of credit from the program." 
 
The biggest problem was money after all. 
 
Students participating in the Work, English Study and Travel (WEST) 
Program paid a lump sum of 8,300 to 8,500 dollars (about 12 million 
won) for language courses by February 19. 
 
Although students from low-income families can get a scholarship, 
which covers 75 percent of the participation fee, there is no 
financial assistance for other students.  Some universities offered 
financial help, but only a few. 
 
Most of the participants said, "My parents took out a bank loan to 
pay the fee."  They confessed that although they did not want to be 
a burden on their families, it was not easy for them to cancel their 
plans. 
 
One student, who gave up going to the U.S. due to financial burden, 
noted, "They say that they offer WEST participants a better exchange 
rate for dollars, but these days, most commercial banks provide that 
service," adding with a sigh, "If I had been allowed to pay the fee 
in installments, I would have been able to go to the U.S." 
 
As of now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is overhauling 
related laws in order to expand scholarships for low-income families 
and to make student loans available from next time.  The first batch 
of participants argues that "If the system is overhauled, that 
overhaul should apply to us retroactively." 
 
Participants were also confused because the participant selection 
schedule was not fixed but continuously changed.  When the result of 
the document screening was not announced at the originally scheduled 
date in early January and continued to be delayed, many participants 
thought that they failed and gave up their plans. 
 
One applicant, who was automatically eliminated since he was abroad 
at the time of interview, said, "It effectively means that if we 
apply for the WEST program, we should not do other things." 
 
The interview schedule was postponed several times, and information 
on sponsors, which arrange language institutes and jobs for 
participants, also changed frequently. 
 
Many observers pointed out that government officials in charge of 
the WEST program failed to respond swiftly to questions from 
applicants, which should be corrected. 
 
Participants said, "Since we paid high fees, we expected 
high-quality service, but it is true that the program falls short of 
our expectations." 
 
They added, "At first, since the schedule was not fixed, we were 
very concerned, but now the program seems to be taking root.  We 
hope that the organizer will pay more attention to establishing 
communication channels with participants." 
 
Besides this, observers said that participants need to be allowed to 
take units of credit from the program and to receive additional 
points when applying for a job after returning home. 
 
 
Stephens 
1