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SUBJECT: PRESS BULLETIN - March 3, 2009 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
¶1. What Obama's Reforms Suggest to Us 
(Hankook Ilbo, March 3, 2009, Page 39) 
 
 
Features 
 
¶2. N. Korea, UN Command Hold 1st Talks in 6 Years 
(Dong-a Ilbo, March 3, 2009, Page 6) 
¶3. "The U.S.-North Korea Talks Can Be Viewed Positively If They Are 
Helpful To the Six-Party Talks" 
(Hankook Ilbo, March 3, 2009, Page 5) 
 
 
Top Headlines 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye Ilbo, Seoul 
Shinmun, All TVs 
Parties Agree to Vote on Disputed Media Bills in 100 Days 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
A Quarter of Surveyed Kids Suffering "Emotional Disturbances" 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
Ruling Majority GNP Accused of Dithering 
during Three Months of War on Bills 
 
 
Domestic Developments 
 
¶1. The ROKG yesterday appointed Wi Sung-lac, Special Assistant to 
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, as new Chief Delegate to the 
Six-Party Talks. (Chosun, Dong-a, Hankook, Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul) 
The new chief negotiator on the North Korean nuclear issue was 
quoted as telling reporters yesterday: "If bilateral talks between 
the U.S. and North Korea are helpful to the Six-Party Talks, they 
can be viewed positively." (Dong-a, Hankook) 
 
¶2. The U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) and North Korea held 
General-level military talks yesterday for the first time in more 
than six years at the North's request. The talks, however, lasted 
only about 30 minutes, because the North strongly demanded that the 
joint ROK-U.S. military drill, slated for March 9-20, be scrapped, 
with the UNC reaffirming that the annual drill is only a 
"defense-oriented exercise." (All) 
 
¶3. The North's rare request for talks with the UNC might have been 
intended to build justification for provocations, including a 
missile launch, while isolating the ROK in discussing political and 
military affairs. (Hankook, Segye, KBS, MBC) 
 
¶4. The ROK and the U.S. held a Security Policy Initiative (SPI) 
meeting in Seoul yesterday, a regular working-level gathering on 
bilateral security issues, to discuss pending issues, such as the 
transfer of wartime operational control of ROK troops from the U.S. 
to the ROK and the relocation of USFK bases. The two sides agreed to 
enhance their cooperation and information sharing on North Korea's 
missile activities. (Hankook) 
 
 
Media Analysis 
 
 
North Korea 
Yesterday's General-level military talks between the U.S.-led United 
Nations Command (UNC) and North Korea received wide play.  The ROK 
media reported that the talks, held for the first time in more than 
six years at the North's request, lasted only about 30 minutes, 
because the communist state strongly demanded that the joint 
ROK-U.S. military drill, slated for March 9-20, be scrapped, with 
the UNC reaffirming that the annual drill is only a 
"defense-oriented exercise."  Most of the ROK media viewed the fact 
that North Korea requested the talks with the UNC as part of its 
long-standing tactic to isolate the ROK in discussing political and 
military affairs.  Moderate Hankook Ilbo, in particular, saw the 
North Korean move as intended to build justification for 
provocations, including a missile launch. 
Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was 
quoted by moderate Hankook Ilbo and conservative Segye Ilbo as 
saying during a March 1 interview with CNN: "The U.S. is watching 
North Korea even more closely these days because of reports that 
North Korea plans to test-fire a long-range missile." 
 
Most of the ROK media reported on yesterday's appointment of Wi 
Sung-lac, Special Assistant to Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, as 
new Chief Delegate to the Six-Party Talks.  The new chief negotiator 
on the North Korean nuclear issue was quoted as telling reporters 
yesterday: "If bilateral talks between the U.S. and North Korea are 
helpful to the Six-Party Talks, they can be viewed positively." 
 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
What Obama's Reforms Suggest to Us 
(Hankook Ilbo, March 3, 2009, Page 39) 
 
U.S. President Obama's reform policies have been revealed.  He 
emphasized that he will enhance welfare through massive government 
spending, reduce income inequality and drive the growth engine 
through more investment on energy, education and medical care.  He 
also said that he will implement medical insurance for all 
Americans, and eliminate tax benefits for the rich and large 
corporations.  He stressed remodeling American society by uniting 
Americans through a reduction in the budget deficit and 
redistribution of wealth. 
 
A tax increase for the rich is the most controversial idea in 
Obamanomics.  President Obama plans to increase the income tax rate 
for high income earners and the dividend tax rate for large 
corporations in order to collect 1 trillion dollars over the next 10 
years.  This money will go towards establishing medical insurance 
for all Americans.  Professor Paul Krugman at Princeton University 
said, "Since the 1980s, the U.S. has seen income inequality 
worsening due to tax reduction for the wealthy and 40% of the 
population has not been covered by medical insurance."  Krugman's 
emphasis on the need for scrapping tax benefits for the wealthy and 
expanding the social safety net seems to uphold Obama's reform 
initiatives. 
 
Obama's reforms are significant in that he officially abolished 
'small government' and 'tax cuts' put in place by the Reagan 
Administration 30 years ago. He intends to remedy hazards of 
neoliberalism by reverting to a tax increase and big government to 
overcome the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. 
Obama said that he is ready to battle with America's interest 
groups.  The Democratic Party is rooting for him, saying that Obama 
has embarked on bold and realistic reforms.  Meanwhile, the 
Republican Party argues that "Obama is waging a class war." 
 
It will not be easy for Obama's reform bills to pass Congress due to 
severe opposition from the Republican Party.  But he reminds us that 
in times of crisis, it is important to resolve social and economic 
inequality by focusing on distribution of wealth and welfare instead 
of pushing for growth-oriented policy and tax cuts.  What matters in 
times of hardship, is that the government acts to reduce inequality 
and tries to rebuild the lives of the lower-and middle classes. 
 
 
Features 
 
¶N. Korea, UN Command Hold 1st Talks in 6 Years 
(Dong-a Ilbo, March 3, 2009, Page 6) 
 
North Korea yesterday criticized a South Korea-U.S. joint drill in 
its first talks with the United Nations Command in more than six 
years. 
 
A military source said North Korean generals strongly requested the 
U.N. Command stop the military exercise, "Key Resolve", in the 15th 
round of high-level talks in the border village of Panmunjom. 
 
"In the 30-minute talks, the North said the joint military exercise 
is increasing tension on the Korean Peninsula, and mentioned the 
schedule of Key Resolve and the current movement of the U.S. 
military on the peninsula," the source said. 
The U.N. Command rejected the request, saying Key Resolve is an 
annual defense drill and that it sent the specific training schedule 
to the North on Feb. 18. 
 
In a phone message sent to the U.N. Command on Saturday, Pyongyang 
said Washington is committing a provocation in the border buffer 
zone with the tacit agreement of South Korea.  The North also said 
that it proposed the talks to discuss easing tension on the 
peninsula with the U.N. Command. 
 
U.S. Air Force Major Gen. Johnny Weida, Deputy Chief of Staff for 
the U.N. Command, and the North's Lt. Gen. Ri Chan Bok attended the 
talks as the chief delegates of their respective sides. 
 
* This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version. 
 
 
"The U.S.-North Korea Talks Can Be Viewed Positively If They Are 
Helpful To the Six-Party Talks" 
(Hankook Ilbo, March 3, 2009, Page 5) 
 
By Reporter Chung Sang-won 
 
The ROKG yesterday appointed Wi Sung-lac, Special Assistant to 
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, as Special Representative for Korean 
Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs of the ROK Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and Trade, and new Chief Delegate to the Six-Party Talks. 
 
New chief delegate Wi is a diplomat versed in ROK-U.S. relations and 
the North Korean nuclear issue.  He served as Director General of 
the North American Affairs Bureau and Political Minister at the 
South Korean Embassy in Washington, and also has held major 
positions relating to ROK-U.S. relations.  He was deeply involved in 
the negotiations after the second North Korean nuclear crisis that 
erupted in October 2002. 
 
He served as Deputy Head of the ROK Delegation to the Six-Party 
Talks aimed at addressing the first North Korean nuclear crisis that 
occurred in August 2003.  In 2004, he served as an advisor for the 
delegations to the second and third rounds of the Six-Party Talks. 
He has plenty of experience in negotiations on the North Korean 
nuclear issue. 
 
He said to reporters, "We should share the urgency of the situation, 
given that four years have passed since the North's nuclear test." 
He added, "I think that the North Korean nuclear issue can be 
resolved through negotiations." 
 
He also noted, "I will opt for 'creative ambiguity' if it is 
genuinely helpful to denuclearization and I will think in a 
pragmatic way." 
 
He will make his debut by holding talks with Special Envoy to North 
Korea Bosworth (sic)* who is to visit Korea in a 4-day itinerary 
from March 7 to 10.  Following visits to China and Japan, Bosworth 
will visit Korea for the first time since he began his term, along 
with Special Envoy to the Six-Party Talks Sung Kim. 
 
However, concerns are mounting that the status of the Six-Party 
Talks may be undermined if Bosworth concentrates on improving the 
U.S.-North Korea ties through bilateral talks.  Regarding this, Wi 
said, "There were many times when the U.S.-North Korea talks spurred 
improvement of the Six-Party Talks and Bosworth's efforts toward the 
U.S.-North Korea talks can be viewed positively if they are helpful 
to the Six-Party Talks."  He added, "In principle, what matters most 
is making headway in the North's denuclearization and improving the 
current situation." 
 
* (Ed. Note: Bosworth's title is U.S. Special Representative for 
North Korea Policy (sic)* 
 
 
Stephens 
1