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SUBJECT: PRESS BULLETIN - February 26, 2009 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
¶1. True Character of Clinton's Diplomacy 
(Segye Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 31) 
¶2. Will 'Clinton Effect' Continue? 
(JoongAng Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 27) 
 
 
Features 
 
¶3. Obama's Address to Joint Session of Congress Enviable (Hankook 
Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 39) 
¶4. Foreign Ministry Selects 190 for US WEST Program 
(Hankook Ilb, February 26, 2009, Page 14) 
¶5. N. Korea Puts Missile Fueling Facilities Underground 
(Dong-a Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Front Page) 
Top Headlines 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
Retiring Seoul National University History Professor Lee Tae-jin: 
"As an historian, I Feel Keenly Responsible for Failing to Criticize 
Left-leaning History Textbooks" 
 
JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, 
Seoul Shinmun, All TVs 
Ruling GNP Unilaterally Introduces Controversial Media Bills; 
National Assembly's Subcommittee Passes Motion 
to Ratify KORUS FTA 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
Survey Finds ROK Government and Politicians are More Lax than ROK 
Citizens in Observing Law and Order 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Ruling Party Starts President Lee's Second Year in Office by 
"Unilaterally Introducing Controversial Media Bills" 
 
 
Domestic Developments 
 
¶1. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan told Korean correspondents in 
Beijing yesterday that China shared its concerns with the ROK over 
North Korea's latest movements for a suspected missile launch during 
the Feb. 24 ROK-China foreign ministerial meeting. (JoongAng, 
Hankook, KBS, MBC) 
 
¶2. Won Sei-hoon, Chief of the National Intelligence Service, told 
the National Assembly yesterday that a three-generation succession 
in North Korea appears to be possible. He was further quoted as 
saying: "North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has not fully recovered 
(from his suspected stroke), but he does not appear to have any 
great difficulty conducting business." (All) 
 
¶3. The Center for New American Security (CNAS), a think tank 
co-founded by Kurt Campbell, the likely next U.S. Assistant 
Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said in a 
Feb. 25 report that if the KORUS FTA should fail, it would create 
serious cracks in the ROK-U.S. alliance. (Chosun) 
 
¶4. According to the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry has finalized the 
selection of 190 college students and graduates to take part in the 
(ROK-U.S.) WEST (Work, English Study and Travel) program. The 
Ministry originally planned to select 300 people, but about 41.5 
percent of the 325 people selected dropped plans to joint the WEST 
program for financial reasons, such as unstable foreign exchange 
rates and the economic downturn. (Hankook, Segye) 
 
 
International News 
 
¶1. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, 
during their Feb. 24 summit in Washington, agreed to work closely to 
deal with North Korea's missile problem. (JoongAng, Segye, Seoul, 
all TVs) 
 
¶2. According to ROK and U.S. intelligence authorities, North Korea 
has significantly improved its missile launch facilities, with 
fueling stations built underground at the Taepodong-2 missile launch 
base at Musudan-ri in North Hamkyong Province. (Dong-a) 
 
 
Media Analysis 
 
North Korea 
Most of the ROK media gave attention to a Feb. 24 summit in 
Washington between President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime 
Minister Taro Aso, quoting them as agreeing to work closely to deal 
with North Korea's missile problem. 
 
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan's press remarks in Beijing yesterday 
also received coverage.  Foreign Minister Yu was quoted as telling 
Korean correspondents: "China shared its concerns with the ROK over 
North Korea's latest movements for a suspected missile launch during 
the Feb. 24 ROK-China foreign ministerial meeting." 
 
Citing ROK and U.S. Intelligence sources, conservative Dong-a Ilbo 
front-paged a report saying that North Korea has significantly 
improved its missile launch facilities, with fueling stations built 
underground at the Taepodong-2 missile launch base at Musudan-ri in 
North Hamkyong Province.  An intelligence source was quoted as 
saying: "If liquid fuel is pumped into missile projectiles at 
underground facilities, North Korea could dodge U.S. surveillance 
satellites.  The North is now capable of conducting the most 
important part of a missile launch behind the scenes."  Another 
source was also cited as saying: "While building the facilities for 
putting liquid fuel into missile projectiles underground, North 
Korea has also improved its capacity for related facilities and will 
likely fuel the projectile in one or two days." 
 
Won Sei-hoon, Chief of the National Intelligence Service, was widely 
quoted as telling the National Assembly yesterday: "A 
three-generation succession in North Korea appears to be possible. 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has not fully recovered (from his 
suspected stroke), but he doesn't appear to have any great 
difficulty conducting  business." 
 
More on Secretary Clinton's Visit to Seoul 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo's Senior Editorial Writer Ahn 
Hee-change wrote: "In the wake of Secretary Clinton's visit to 
Seoul, ROK foreign affairs officials appear to be relieved because 
she made quite pleasing comments.  This (development) carries great 
significance, given North Korea's relentless efforts to bypass the 
ROK while talking to the U.S., and North Korea's military threats. 
However, what matters now is how long this 'Clinton effect' will 
continue.  We should pay attention to how the U.S. will respond if 
the North goes ahead with a missile launch which is expected to 
happen in mid-March.  It would be desirable for the U.S. to hold 
negotiations with North Korea to resolve the North Korean nuclear 
issue.  However, the U.S. should not focus on improving ties with 
the North while putting the North's nuclear issue on the back 
burner." 
 
Conservative Segye Ilbo's commentary observed: "The Obama 
Administration's North Korea policy has become clearer.  The key is 
to achieve a complete and verifiable denuclearization through the 
Six-Party Talks.  And yet, no prominent change from the previous 
Bush Administration's North Korea policy can be found. .... Except 
(for the fact) that the Obama Administration gives more weight to 
the normalization of U.S.-North Korea relations, there is almost no 
difference between the North Korea policies of the two 
administrations.  North Korea's missile launch is expected to be the 
first test of the Obama Administration's North Korea policy. 
Clinton's smart power diplomacy is a mixture of softness and 
toughness.  If we are blinded by external appearances, we may not 
grasp what really lies inside.  Whenever its national interests are 
at stake, the U.S. takes a turn toward a hard-line attitude.  This 
is what we and, in particular, North Korea  should keep in mind." 
 
 
President Obama's Address to Congress 
The ROK media gave inside-page play to President Barack Obama's 
first address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24.  Most of 
the ROK media reported that President Obama sought to spark optimism 
and confidence in his plan for economic recovery.  President Obama 
was widely quoted as saying: "We will rebuild, we will recover, and 
the United States of America will emerge stronger than ever." 
Moderate Hankook Ilbo commented in an editorial: "This address, like 
previous speeches, was full of rhetoric for concerted efforts and 
unity to overcome the economic crisis, but short on concrete 
measures." 
 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
True Character of Clinton's Diplomacy 
(Segye Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 31) 
 
By Editorial Writer Park Wan-kyu 
 
U.S. Secretary of State Clinton sent a clear message to North Korea. 
 Before arriving in Seoul, she publicly mentioned the succession 
issue in the North, a taboo subject for U.S. diplomats.  She 
affirmed, "I don't think that it's a forbidden subject to talk about 
succession in the hermit kingdom.  In fact, it seems to me it's got 
to be factored into any policy review that one is undertaking." 
After meeting with her ROK counterpart, she also said, "North Korea 
is not going to get a different relationship with the United States 
while insulting and refusing dialogue with the Republic of Korea." 
Through this statement, she blocked Pyongyang's strategy of 
"promoting exchange with the United States and sidelining the ROK." 
She even described North Korea as a "tyranny." 
 
The Obama Administration's North Korea policy has become clearer. 
The key is to achieve complete and verifiable denuclearization 
through the Six-Party Talks.  And yet, no prominent change from the 
previous Bush Administration's North Korea policy can be found.  The 
message toward the North, which is jumbled with dialogue and 
pressure, remains the same.  Except that (the Obama Administration) 
gives more weight to her statement about the normalization of the 
U.S.-North Korea relations, there is almost no difference between 
the North Korea policies of the two administrations.  This could be 
evidence that the Obama Administration is still in the process of 
fleshing out its North Korea policy. 
 
If this is true, it is very worrisome because North Korea's 
provocations have recently crossed the line.  Although Secretary 
Clinton warned Pyongyang against its missile activities during her 
visit to the ROK, the North responded with the announcement of 
missile preparations on February 24.  North Korea's missile launch 
is expected to be the first test for the Obama Administration's 
North Korea policy.  For the time being, the situation on the Korean 
Peninsula will become tense. 
 
Clinton's smart power diplomacy is a mixture of softness and 
toughness.  If we are blinded by external appearances, we may not 
grasp what really lies inside.  Whenever its national interests are 
at stake, the U.S. takes a turn toward a hard-line attitude.  This 
is what we and, in particular, the North should keep in mind. 
 
 
Will 'Clinton Effect' Continue? 
(JoongAng Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Page 27) 
 
By Chief Editorial Writer Ahn Hee-chang 
 
In the wake of U.S. Secretary Clinton's visit to Korea, ROK foreign 
affairs officials appear to be relieved because she made quite 
pleasing comments.  She said, "The North will not gain a different 
relationship with the U.S. if it refuses to talk with the ROK." 
Also, she noted, "The North should put an end to all provocative 
actions that could jeopardize the Six-Party Talks." 
 
Clinton took sides with the ROK. 
 
Clinton's remarks carry great significance, given North Korea's 
relentless efforts to bypass the ROK while talking to the U.S., and 
North Korea's military threats.   Her warnings to North Korea are 
more than an ordinary diplomatic rhetoric. 
 
But what matters now is how long this 'Clinton Effect' will last. 
Considering the past record of inter-Korean talks and U.S.-North 
Korea negotiations, developments have turned out to be not 
necessarily favorable to the ROK.  When North Korea test-fired a 
long-range missile in July 2006 and conducted a nuclear test in 
October the same year, the U.S. declared it would take a harsh 
countermeasure against such moves.  However, only months later the 
U.S. swiftly turned to dialogue with the North, without a thought 
about the ROK government and its own intentions. 
 
Take another example.  In mid 1990, during the Kim Young-sam 
Administration, the U.S. moved actively to improve ties with the 
North.  The U.S. government held talks on repatriation of the 
remains of American soldiers and eased economic sanctions on North 
Korea.  In the meanwhile, President Kim Young-sam faced public 
criticism at home since the ROK was sidelined in the talks while it 
ended up paying for most of the costs for the light water reactor 
construction project.  At that time, the U.S came up with a plan to 
push for Korean Peninsula peace negotiations and the U.S.-North 
Korea talks in a separate manner.  Under the plan, the Four-Party 
talks would be led by the ROK to deal with the peace treaty on the 
Korean Peninsula, while the U.S. would concentrate on improving ties 
with the North.  But the problem was that there was initially almost 
no possibility that the talks on changing the armistice agreement 
into a peace treaty would be successful through the Four-Party 
Talks.  After all, the Four-Party Talks were created to no avail. 
The U.S. clearly revealed that its own national interests should 
come first. 
 
We should pay attention to how the U.S. will respond to the North's 
missile launch. 
 
We are not sure yet whether the Obama Government would follow suit. 
But the ROKG should prepare itself for all possibilities.  The ROK 
should pay attention to how the U.S. will respond if the North goes 
ahead with a missile launch which is expected to happen in 
mid-March. 
 
It is desirable for the U.S. to hold negotiations with North Korea 
to resolve North Korean nuclear issue.  However, the U.S. should not 
focus on improving ties with the North while putting the North's 
nuclear issue on the back burner.  This is a deciding factor on 
whether the U.S-ROK alliance will remain effective in the future. 
 
 
Features 
Obama's Address to Joint Session of Congress Enviable (Hankook Ilbo, 
February 26, 2009, Page 39) 
 
By Reporter Yoon Sang-ho 
 
Yesterday, U.S. President Barack Obama gave his first address to the 
Joint Session of Congress since his inauguration.  Like any other 
speech, it included colorful rhetoric to drum up unity and 
solidarity among people in order to overcome the economic crisis, 
but it rarely set out specific policies.  Nevertheless, his speech 
met with an enthusiastic response from lawmakers in both chambers of 
Congress.  Not only the ruling Democratic Party but also the 
Republican Party gave him a thunderous ovation. 
 
This reminded me of the starkly different atmosphere at our National 
Assembly.  President Lee Myung-bak, who also needs active 
cooperation from political circles in this tough economic situation, 
could have given a National Assembly speech broadcast live on TV, 
radio and the Internet to mark the first anniversary of his 
inauguration, but it was not realized.  Even if it had happened, it 
would not have created a sensation.  This is because not only the 
charisma, speech skills, rhetoric and energy of the two Presidents 
are different, but the attitudes of the public and lawmakers are 
also significantly different. 
 
Of course, the largest blame for losing public trust lies in the Lee 
Myung-bak Administration, and in this sense, thorough 
self-reflection and efforts are need to restore genuine 
"communication" and trust.  However, we also need to think about 
whether the Lee Administration was shackled by public opinion and 
the National Assembly and thus was not provided with any opportunity 
to carry out its policy properly. 
 
 
Foreign Ministry Selects 190 for US WEST Program (Hankook Ilb, 
February 26, 2009, Page 14) 
 
By reporter Chung Sang-won 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Feb. 25 that it 
E 
has finalized the selection of 190 college students and graduates to 
take part in the Work, English, Study and Travel (WEST) program. 
According to the Foreign Ministry, the participants will be 
undertaking internships with U.S. businesses and non-profit 
organizations and going on travels after completing the 
English-language program.  However, 135 (about 41.5%) of the 325 
people selected dropped plans to join the WEST program due to 
financial reasons. 
 
The Ministry said, "We originally planned to select 300 people but 
only 265 candidates submitted completed applications to their 
American sponsors. In addition, 75 of (those who submitted 
applications) subsequently withdrew their applications to 
participate in the program." 
 
Among the 75 people who withdrew their names from consideration, 45 
percent cited financial problems such as the increase in exchange 
rates as a reason for giving up.  The Ministry explained, "The 
participants of the WEST program will be able to get a loan for an 
English-language course from the second half of this year.  Up to 
50% of the participants will receive financial support according to 
their income levels." 
 
 
¶N. Korea Puts Missile Fueling Facilities Underground 
(Dong-a Ilbo, February 26, 2009, Front Page) 
 
By Reporter Yoon Sang-ho 
 
South Korean and U.S. intelligence said yesterday that North Korea 
has significantly improved its facilities for missile launch, with 
fueling stations built underground at the Taepodong-2 launch base at 
Musudan-ri in North Hamkyong Province. 
 
Experts said South Korean authorities could find it more difficult 
to closely monitor signs of an imminent missile launch. 
 
Senior Seoul officials said Pyongyang had completed facilities for 
putting liquid fuel into a missile projectile at an underground 
location near the launch pad at Musudan-ri between late last year 
and early this year. 
 
North Korea has been using liquid fuel with trucks or a separate 
external fueling facility after installing a missile on the standing 
launch pad.  For the launch of the Taepodong-1 in 1998 and 
Taepodong-2 in 2006, South Korean and U.S. intelligence learned a 
missile launch was imminent by monitoring a scene of fueling via 
intelligence satellite. 
 
One intelligence source said, "If liquid fuel is pumped into missile 
projectiles at underground facilities, the North can dodge U.S. 
surveillance satellites." 
 
"The North is now capable of conducting the most important part of a 
missile launch behind the scenes." 
 
Another source said, "While building the facilities for putting 
liquid fuel into missile projectiles underground, North Korea has 
improved its capacity for related facilities and will likely fuel 
the projectile in one or two days." 
 
* This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version. 
 
 
Stephens 
1