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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 SEOUL 000467 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; March 24, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, All TVs 
Two Former Officials of Roh Moo-hyun Administration 
Arrested for Allegedly Taking Bribes 
from Taekwang Industrial Chairman Park Yeon-cha 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Unnamed Intelligence Source: "Two Female U.S. Journalists were Taken 
to North Korea's Defense Security Command 
Near Pyongyang" 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
Opposition Democratic Party's Deputy Floor Leader 
Suh Kap-won was There When Chief of Jeonju District Public 
Prosecutor's Office Played Golf 
with Taekwang Industrial Chairman Park 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Lee Jong-chan, First Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs 
under Lee Myung-bak Administration, 
Uses Park Yeon-cha's Money to Open Law Firm 
 
Segye Ilbo 
ROKG Reviewing "Songpa New Town Plan" 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
Two or Three Lawmakers Likely to be Summoned over Bribery Scandal 
Involving Taekwang Industrial Chairman Park Yeon-cha 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
A senior ROKG official purportedly said recently: "If the U.S. and 
North Korea speed up too much in bilateral talks, Japan could play a 
role in 'slamming on the brakes.'" This remark may reflect Seoul's 
uneasiness that any bilateral negotiations after North Korea 
launches its missile next month between Washington and Pyongyang 
might proceed too quickly towards normalization for the ROK's 
comfort. (Chosun) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
The ROK obtained intelligence on how two American journalists were 
detained recently in North Korea and briefed U.S. intelligence 
officials on those details. According to an unnamed intelligence 
source, the American journalists are being questioned at closed-off 
quarters under North Korea's Defense Security Command near 
Pyongyang, and they would likely face charges of espionage because 
they crossed the border (into North Korea). (JoongAng) 
 
According to America's CBS News, a U.S. official said that 
Washington has contacted North Korea to resolve the detention issue 
and is awaiting a reply from the North. (Hankook) 
 
Chief ROK Delegate to the Six-Party Talks Wi Sung-lac will visit 
China from March 24-25 to discuss North Korea's imminent launch and 
ways to resume the Six-Party Talks. The Chief ROK Delegate will also 
visit Washington to meet with U.S. officials, including Stephen 
Bosworth, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy. 
(Hankyoreh, KBS) 
 
According to a source knowledgeable about North Korean affairs, Kim 
Kyong-hui, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and 
wife of powerful Workers' Party member Chang Sung-taek, is 
supposedly in critical condition due to complications associated 
with alcohol abuse. Last year's visit to Pyongyang by a French 
doctor was actually intended to treat her. (Dong-a) 
 
SEOUL 00000467  002 OF 005 
 
 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-North Korea 
------------ 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo gave top front-page play to a report 
quoting an unnamed intelligence source yesterday that the ROK 
obtained intelligence on how two American journalists were detained 
recently in North Korea and has briefed U.S. intelligence officials 
on those details.  The source was further quoted as saying that the 
American journalists are being questioned at closed-off quarters 
under North Korea's Defense Security Command near Pyongyang and that 
they would likely face charges of espionage because they crossed the 
border (into North Korea.) 
 
In a related development, moderate Hankook Ilbo replayed a March 22 
CBS (U.S.) report quoting a U.S. official saying that Washington has 
contacted North Korea to resolve the detention issue and is awaiting 
a reply from the North. 
 
Regarding North Korea's imminent missile launch, conservative Chosun 
Ilbo carried an inside-page report quoting a senior ROKG official as 
saying: "If the U.S. and North Korea speed up too much in bilateral 
talks, Japan could play a role in 'slamming on the brakes.'"  The 
paper commented that this remark reflects Seoul's uneasiness that 
any bilateral negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang might 
proceed too fast towards normalizing relations for the ROK's comfort 
after North Korea launches its missile next month.  The report went 
on to say that Seoul also expects Tokyo to play a role in UN 
Security Council discussions on sanctions against North Korea 
following its launch, further quoting the official "As a member of 
the Security Council, Japan has many roles to play than the ROK." 
 
Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun and state-run KBS reported that Chief 
ROK Delegate to the Six-Party Talks Wi Sung-lac will visit China 
from March 24-25 to discuss North Korea's imminent launch and ways 
to resume the Six-Party Talks.  The media went on to report that the 
Chief ROK Delegate will also visit Washington to meet with U.S. 
officials, including Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. Special 
Representative for North Korea Policy. 
 
Citing a source knowledgeable about North Korean affairs, 
conservative Dong-a Ilbo front-paged a report saying that Kim 
Kyong-hui, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and 
wife of powerful Workers` Party member Chang Sung-taek, is said to 
be in critical condition due to complications associated with 
alcohol abuse.  The report went on to say that last year's visit to 
Pyongyang by a French doctor was actually intended to treat her. 
 
Unlike moderate Hankook Ilbo's and leftist Hankyoreh Shinmun's notes 
of caution yesterday on Seoul's participation in the Proliferation 
Security Initiative (PSI), conservative Dong-a Ilbo expressed 
support for the idea: "Following its nuclear weapons development, 
North Korea is poised to test-fire a missile with an extended range 
under the pretext of launching a satellite.  North Korea is 
suspected of being deeply involved in Syria's nuclear development 
and Iran's missile development. 
 
There is also no guarantee that (such) weapons of mass destruction 
will not fall into the hands of terrorists, such as al-Qaida.  As 
shown in the recent terrorist attack in Yemen, international 
terrorism is not confined to a certain nation.  For the sake of 
global human security, too, (the ROK's) full participation in the 
PSI has become inevitable." 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
NORTH KOREA PROMPTS THE ROK TO PARTICIPATE IN PROLIFERATION SECURITY 
INITIATIVE 
 
SEOUL 00000467  003 OF 005 
 
 
(Dong-a Ilbo, March 24, 2009, Page 31) 
 
An ROKG official hinted that the ROK might participate fully in the 
U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at preventing 
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction if North Korea 
launches a missile.  This sparked opposition from some Koreans. 
They argue that full PSI participation by the ROK would needlessly 
provoke North Korea and further escalate tensions between the ROK 
and North Korea.  However, this is an argument distorting reality. 
Now tensions peak on the Korean Peninsula due to all kinds of 
belligerent acts by North Korea.  Moreover, if the ROK does not 
respond to the North's blatant saber-rattling through nuclear and 
missile threats, for fear of backlash from North Korea, it is as if 
it is giving up its national security.  If North Korea continues to 
resort to threats, the ROK has no choice but to participate fully in 
the PSI. 
 
The PSI is not specifically targeting North Korea but is an 
international cooperation system for curbing the spread of weapons 
of mass destruction such as nuclear and missile arsenals, and 
biological and chemical weapons.  The PSI was launched in 2003 under 
the control of the U.S. and currently 94 countries are participants. 
 The former Roh Mu-hyun Government participated in the PSI only as 
an observer because of concerns that its full participation would 
enrage North Korea. 
 
Full participation means officially joining the PSI exercise inside 
and outside the region, which aims to stop trafficking of weapons of 
mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials, and 
providing supplies to the effort.  Thus far, the Lee Myung-bak 
Administration has taken a lukewarm attitude toward the full 
participation for fear of provoking the North. 
 
However, following its nuclear weapons development, North Korea is 
now preparing to test-fire a missile with an extended range in the 
name of a satellite.  North Korea is suspected of being deeply 
involved in Syria's nuclear development and Iran's missile 
development.  There is no guarantee that weapons of mass destruction 
will not fall into the hands of terrorists, such as al-Qaida.  As 
shown in the recent terrorist attack in Yemen, international 
terrorism is not confined to a certain nation.  For the sake of 
global human security, too, full participation in the PSI has become 
inevitable. 
 
We need to remind the North that it will have to pay the price of 
its "bad behavior."  Although the ROKG is hesitating to link its 
full participation in the PSI with North Korea's missile launch, the 
ROK's excessive cautiousness would rather backfire.  If Seoul is to 
clearly show Pyongyang that its rash behavior does not work anymore, 
Seoul must boldly declare its full participation in the PSI. 
 
 
FEATURES 
-------- 
 
SOURCE: U.S. JOURNALISTS IN PYONGYANG 
(JoongAng Ilbo, March 24, 2009, Page 1, 4) 
 
By Reporter Lee Young-jong 
 
Seoul tells Washington the detainees could be facing charges of 
espionage 
 
South Korea has collected intelligence on how two American 
journalists were captured recently in North Korea and has provided 
details to United States intelligence officials, the JoongAng Ilbo 
has learned. 
 
A South Korean source said that after their capture, U.S. 
intelligence officials asked South Korea for cooperation in 
gathering facts about the detention of Korean-American Euna Lee and 
Chinese-American Laura Ling, who work for Current TV.  The United 
States tried to no avail to negotiate with the North before the 
incident leaked to the media.  The source said the American 
 
SEOUL 00000467  004 OF 005 
 
 
government had very little information on the status of the two 
journalists and on the North's follow-up actions.  Other than 
contacting the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang for communication, the 
U.S. took little action.  Washington has no formal diplomatic ties 
with North Korea. 
 
The U.S. intelligence community asked South Korea for help using the 
South's humint, or human intelligence, referring to intelligence 
gathered through human contacts.  While U.S. intelligence may be a 
step ahead in its high-tech satellites and other devices, it decided 
South Korea would be better able to collect humint.  And in a 
relatively short time, South Korea came up with the information. 
 
According to South Korean intelligence, Lee and Ling walked across 
the Tumen River, bordering China and North Korea, at 3 a.m. last 
Tuesday.  The narrow river is a frequent escape route for refugees 
and the journalists wanted a closer look at North Korea. 
 
Sources said the journalists first wanted to stay on the Chinese 
side, but then their journalistic urge for a scoop led them to 
chance a border crossing.  As their Chinese guide lingered slightly 
behind, Lee and Ling were stopped by a North Korean soldier. 
 
According to the sources, the North Korean soldier at first assumed 
the journalists were Koreans.  But their passports and other ID 
cards revealed them to be American citizens.  The capture of the 
Americans was immediately reported to the North's Defense Security 
Command and to the Ninth Army Corps, which is in charge of North 
Hamgyong Province, where the Tumen River flows. 
 
After being questioned at the security command, Lee and Ling were 
reportedly taken to Pyongyang last Wednesday.  Each was put in a 
separate vehicle so that there would be no communication between 
them.  According to South Korean sources, the journalists are being 
questioned at closed-off quarters under the auspices of the command 
near Pyongyang.  One source said, "Our intelligence tells us that 
since this involved border security, the command wants to physically 
detain the journalists."  Another source said there is also a 
distinct possibility that once the current round of questioning is 
concluded, the journalists will be handed over to the National 
Security Defense Agency, the North's top intelligence unit. 
 
The sources said U.S. officials were appreciative of South Korea's 
quick effort and specific information.  They also said Korea told 
the U.S. that the North is likely trying to get the journalists to 
admit to espionage at the border.  According to the sources, given 
the North's relentless style of questioning and investigation, Lee 
and Ling will have little choice but to reveal what they saw and 
heard. 
 
When their capture first became known, the journalists were said to 
be on a trip to report on the plight of North Korean refugees, and 
their reports on the refugees or footage of North Korean territory 
could work against them. 
 
The South Korean intelligence community believes the charges against 
the journalists will likely be espionage because they crossed the 
border.  It's a felony that could result in a minimum of 20 years in 
prison in North Korea. 
 
One source said, "The North will film all of its questioning of the 
journalists and will prepare for negotiations with the United 
States." 
 
The source said the North could get the Americans to say they had 
spied on tape but will release them anyway, which would make the 
move seem like a goodwill gesture on the North's part. 
 
Another source said it's unlikely the North will physically abuse 
the detained journalists. 
 
The source said the North would want the Americans, once released, 
to go home and tell the press that, for all the questioning, they 
were otherwise given food and a place to stay. That, in turn, would 
 
SEOUL 00000467  005 OF 005 
 
 
paint a less hostile picture of the communist state. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
JAPAN "COULD BECOME KEY SEOUL ALLY IN N. KOREA ISSUES" 
(Chosun Ilbo, March 24, 2009, Page 6) 
 
By Reporter Lim Min-hyuk 
 
A senior South Korean government official recently remarked that if 
the U.S. and North Korea speed up too much in bilateral talks, Japan 
could play a role in "slamming on the brakes."  He appeared to 
suggest that any U.S.-North Korea bilateral negotiations after the 
North's launch next month could proceed too fast towards 
normalization for the comfort of South Korea. 
 
While the South Korean government is not against direct talks 
between Washington and Pyongyang, it feels something must put a stop 
to North Korea's brinkmanship tactics, i.e. to ratcheting up 
tensions in order to speak directly to the U.S. and make diplomatic 
gains.  It is here, the official suggested, that Seoul-Tokyo 
cooperation comes in.  "Japan was once considered a stumbling block 
to solving North Korean issues," another South Korean official said. 
 "But now it has the most important role." 
 
This convergence of interests means Seoul is focusing more than ever 
on seeking cooperation with Tokyo.  The new South Korean nuclear 
envoy Wi Sung-lac visited Japan as his first stopover after he 
assumed the post on Mar. 15. 
 
The government official added Seoul-Tokyo cooperation is important 
because "the U.S. has no choice but to listen first to its allies, 
Japan in particular, no matter how important it is to seek a 
solution to the North Korean nuclear issue." 
 
Seoul also expects Tokyo to play a role in UN Security Council 
discussions of sanctions against North Korea in the aftermath of any 
launch.  "As a member of the Security Council, Japan has more roles 
to play than South Korea," he said. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
STEPHENS