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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 SEOUL 000633 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 17, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
Prosecution Seeks Summons 
against Former President Roh Next Week 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Blue House Keeps Eye on 46 High-ranking Officials 24/7 
for Possible Corruption 
 
Dong-a Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, All TVs 
Supreme Court: "Web Portals Responsible for Libel" 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
National Assembly to Publicly Debate 
Constitutional Amendment in July 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Some of the $5 Million, Which Taekwang Industrial Chairman Park 
Handed to Former President Roh's Nephew-in-law, Found to Have Flown 
into Company of Roh's Brother-in-law 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
ROKG Sets Goal of Joining World's Top Ten Exporters 
This Year 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
According to a survey by the National Veterinary Research and 
Quarantine Service, U.S. beef imports this year were two-thirds of 
Australian beef imports, with 33 percent market share in the ROK as 
of April 10. (JoongAng) One year after the ROK and the U.S. reached 
the beef deal, U.S. beef has successfully reentered the ROK market. 
(Chosun) 
 
President Lee Myung-bak, in an April 16 meeting with U.S. Special 
Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Holbrooke, said that the 
ROKG will look for ways to extend practical assistance to 
Afghanistan. (Dong-a, Seoul) An ROK diplomatic source said, "At a 
time when the ROK desperately needs cooperation from the U.S. to 
deal with North Korea's threats, it is very meaningful that 
Ambassador Holbrooke, not U.S. Special Representative for North 
Korea Policy Bosworth, visited Seoul.  The ROKG first needs to show 
its good faith on the Afghanistan issue before asking for strong 
cooperation from the U.S. on the North Korean issue." (Chosun) Blue 
House and foreign ministry officials said there was no request for 
troop deployment to Afghanistan.  A foreign ministry official, who 
attended Ambassador Holbrooke's meeting with Foreign Minister Yu 
Myung-hwan, said, however, that there was a request for police 
trainers. (Hankyoreh) 
 
The ROK and the U.S. will hold their first high-level talks on April 
23 to reach a final agreement on the relocation of USFK bases. 
(Dong-a) 
 
Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Chang 
Tae-pyong said in an interview with Dong-a Ilbo that this is the 
right time to open the ROK rice market; amid high international rice 
prices, if we now impose tariffs on imports of rice, rice imports 
will lose their competitiveness, thereby working in favor of ROK 
farmers. (Dong-a) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
----------------- 
 
The U.S. and Japan yesterday submitted lists of North Korean 
entities targeted for sanctions to a UN panel in response to 
Pyongyang's recent rocket launch. (JoongAng, Seoul, Segye) 
 
SEOUL 00000633  002 OF 007 
 
 
 
In a rare move, North Korea's Rodong Shinmun released the photos of 
all 13 members of the National Defense Commission on April 10. 
(Dong-a, Chosun, Hankook) 
 
IAEA inspectors, who were monitoring the disablement of the Yongbyon 
nuclear facility in North Korea, have left the country following 
demands from Pyongyang. (JoongAng, Hankyoreh, Segye) 
 
State Department Spokesman Robert Wood said that the expulsion is a 
"step backward" and further isolates North Korea from the outside 
world, adding, "The North is going to have to deal with the 
consequences of such decisions." (Hankook) 
 
According to InsideDefense.com, the Department of Defense will 
review the scenario of North Korea's collapse in the process of 
preparing the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Pentagon's four-year 
strategy planning exercise to be reported to Congress early next 
year. (Hankyoreh) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-North Korea 
------------ 
Major newspapers reported that IAEA inspectors, who were monitoring 
the disablement of the Yongbyon nuclear facility in North Korea, 
have left the country and turned off all surveillance cameras 
following demands from Pyongyang. 
 
JoongAng Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun and Segye Ilbo reported that the U.S. 
and Japan yesterday submitted lists of North Korean entities 
targeted for sanctions to a UN panel in response to Pyongyang's 
recent rocket launch.  The U.S. submitted a list of 11 North Korean 
entities involved in prohibited missile-related activities, and 
Japan put forward a list of at least 15 violators.  Right-of-center 
JoongAng Ilbo questioned whether the sanctions will be effective 
because these entities can easily change their names, thereby 
rendering any sanctions meaningless. 
 
Moderate Hankook Ilbo referenced State Department Spokesman Robert 
Wood's statements that the expulsion of U.S. inspectors is "a step 
backward" and further isolates North Korea from the outside world 
and that "the North is going to have to deal with the consequences 
of such decisions."  White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was 
also quoted as saying that the administration is "anxious for the 
North Koreans to come back to the table." 
 
Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun cited experts saying that North Korea 
will completely restore all of its nuclear facilities to their 
original state within a year and reproduce plutonium within three 
months.  This means that the Six-Party nations have three months to 
resolve the nuclear issue diplomatically.  The newspaper noted that 
it is necessary to have dialogue before the situation becomes 
worse. 
 
In a related story headlined, "Will North Korea's Brinkmanship 
Tactic Work Again?" conservative Segye Ilbo quoted an expert as 
saying that if the U.S. accepts North Korea's request for bilateral 
talks under these circumstances, it will give the impression that 
the U.S. is bowing before North Korea's threats.  The newspaper also 
noted that China has kept silent about the North Korean nuclear 
issue for fear that pressuring the North may shake up the existing 
regime, which could destabilize NortheastChina. 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo and Hankyoreh Shinmun carried editorials 
about the ROKG's delay in announcing its decision to join the 
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). 
 
Chosun Ilbo editorialized: "The ROKG should not make a hasty 
decision on the PSI participation issue.  It should take enough time 
to calculate the pluses and minuses of full participation and 
adequately prepare for various scenarios." 
 
SEOUL 00000633  003 OF 007 
 
 
 
Hankook Ilbo editorialized: "It would be too simple to construe the 
ROK's full participation in the PSI, which the previous Roh Moo-hyun 
Administration avoided, as a 'complete departure' from the Sunshine 
Policy. ... Furthermore, the ROKG should understand that China, 
which has as much influence on the Korean Peninsula issue as the 
U.S., is sensitive to the PSI.  It would be desirable, rather than 
reproachable, for the ROKG to deeply consider this delicate issue." 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "The ROKG should immediately 
retract its decision to join the PSI, which is neither justifiable 
nor beneficial." 
 
-President Obama's Visit to Central and South 
--------------------------------------------- America 
-------- 
 
Carrying the headline, ""Obama's Visit to Central and South America 
Is Aimed at Winning Favor of the Region... 'Smart Diplomacy' Will Be 
Accelerated," conservative Dong-a Ilbo reported that Obama will 
attend the Summit of the Americas today and that he has earnestly 
begun restoring relations with Central and South American nations. 
 
 
Under the headline, "Will Obama Win the Heart of South America from 
China?" Chosun Ilbo reported that President Obama is trying to 
regain clout over South America, but China has already won the heart 
of the region through swift economic cooperation. 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
NO BENEFITS FROM FULL PARTICIPATION IN PSI 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, April 17, 2009, Page 23) 
 
The Lee Myung-bak Administration said it was going to make Korea a 
full participant in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative 
(PSI) if North Korea launched a rocket, but it has postponed the 
official announcement three times. 
 
First, (the Administration) said that an official announcement would 
come immediately following the launch, which occurred on April 5, 
and then postponed (the official announcement) to follow the outcome 
of the United Nations Security Council discussion, which issued a 
presidential statement on April 14.  Yesterday, we were told the 
announcement would come by or around the weekend.  Everyone and 
every agency seems to have a different interpretation as to the 
reason why. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it could influence 
matters with North Korea and that it has not finished coordinating 
with other concerned countries, however, the Ministry of Unification 
refutes this explanation by saying that nothing has changed 
pertaining to issues between Seoul and Pyongyang.  Cheong Wa Dae 
(the presidential office in South Korea, or "Blue House") officials 
have a different story.  It is becoming difficult to think of these 
officials as people who are working in the same administration. 
 
The argument in favor of fully participating in PSI is also running 
in several directions at once.  When President Lee met with ruling 
and opposition party leaders on April 6, he said, "The question of 
participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative is being 
actively considered in the context of international cooperation on 
the prevention of the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), 
(and we are pursuing full participation based on our own (internal) 
decision-making."  He added that it was not intended to serve as a 
response to North Korea's rocket launch.)  A high-ranking member of 
his administration has since said the participating in PSI "would 
not look good immediately following North Korea's response to the UN 
Security Council Presidential Statement while admitting, "The 
decision to participate in PSI is one of a few measures to apply 
pressure on Pyongyang." 
 
 
SEOUL 00000633  004 OF 007 
 
 
Participating in PSI does not seem promising as an effective policy. 
 The administration says that it only applies to territorial waters 
and not to the open sea.  It appears therefore that the standing 
"Agreement on Inter-Korean Maritime Shipping" could be applied 
without the danger of angering North Korea or the potential of an 
armed clash. 
 
The administration, then, has itself essentially admitted that there 
are no practical benefits to be had from participating in the 
program.  Nevertheless the administration says that with 94 
countries participating in PSI that participating is the 
international norm and South Korea needs to participate.  The Obama 
Administration, however, is in the process of adjusting the tone of 
U.S. policies towards so-called rogue states like Iran and Cuba from 
one of "pressure and sanctions" to one of "dialogue and working 
together."  It is not placing the same weight on PSI as did the Bush 
Administration, and is not even strongly recommending we 
participate. 
 
The confusion over PSI is a policy disaster that has occurred in the 
course of moving forward on a hard-line policy that fails to have a 
precise strategy or ample preparation.  The administration should 
immediately retract its decision to join the PSI, which is neither 
justifiable nor beneficial.  If it allows itself to continue to be 
carried away by calls for a hard-line approach it will only give 
North Korea one more thing to react to and thereby further hurt 
inter-Korean relations.  It is time for President Lee to make a wise 
decision. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version, except that the bracketed language 
is in the English version provided by the newspaper but not in the 
Korean version.) 
 
 
 
SHOULD WE REALLY RUSH INTO WMD INITIATIVE? 
(Chosun Ilbo, April 17, 2009, Page 31) 
 
After witnessing the government's confusion and feuding between 
ministries regarding South Korea's full participation in the 
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), it makes one wonder whether 
we can truly entrust this government with the security of the 
nation.  The government convened a foreign policy and security 
meeting on Tuesday and tentatively agreed to participate in the PSI. 
 The weekly meeting involves the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and 
Trade, Unification and Defense, as well as the head of the National 
Intelligence Agency, the chief presidential secretary for foreign 
affairs and national security and the head of the Prime Minister's 
office. 
 
Blue House Spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said after the meeting that an 
announcement declaring Seoul's full participation in the PSI would 
be made "either today or tomorrow."  But on Wednesday, President Lee 
Myung-bak questioned whether this was the right time to make the 
announcement.  The announcement was subsequently postponed until 
this weekend.  At the end of March, the government said it would 
immediately declare its participation if North Korea fired a rocket. 
 But when North Korean did so on April 5, South Korea said the PSI 
was not something that can be used as a direct countermeasure 
against the launch.  The government said it would wait a few days, 
during which the Foreign Ministry, which favored "immediate 
participation," is said to have conflicted with the Unification 
Ministry, which favored a "cautious decision." 
 
Just what is the role of the weekly foreign policy and national 
security meeting?  Ministries and officials are fanning confusion by 
making conflicting statements regarding such an important foreign 
policy and national security issue as participation in the PSI.  It 
is now difficult for the President to avoid being criticized for 
doing little to prevent the confusion. 
 
Consequently, the issue of Seoul's participation in the PSI has now 
encountered a dilemma.  The U.S. government issued an unofficial 
 
SEOUL 00000633  005 OF 007 
 
 
"welcome" message to South Korean correspondents in Washington D.C. 
on Tuesday, amid news that Seoul's announcement was imminent.  U.S. 
President Barack Obama plans to make the PSI, presently including 94 
countries, the framework of a global initiative to prevent the 
spread of nuclear weapons, and establish necessary global 
regulations.  In contrast, North Korea has been saying that South 
Korea's participation would be "an act of war." 
 
There is also a considerable amount of opposition to South Korea's 
participation in the PSI within the country on the grounds that it 
would not be an effective measure to sanction North Korea for 
launching the rocket, and would only serve to increase tensions on 
the Korean peninsula.  This opposition is valid to some degree, 
although claims that the PSI could trigger a war are groundless. 
Seoul's participation in the PSI may certainly escalate tensions, 
which are already high after the North's decision to restart its 
nuclear facilities, even further, as North Korea has vowed 
retaliation.  Yet it would be difficult for South Korea to ignore 
the PSI, after having been so vocal about the need for international 
cooperation in dealing with North Korea's nuclear threat. 
 
Now that the situation has deteriorated, the South Korean government 
should not make a hasty decision on the PSI participation issue.  It 
should take enough time to calculate the pluses and minuses of full 
participation and adequately prepare for various scenarios.  Rather 
than causing more serious damage by racing to decide, it would be 
wise to consider a strategic point of view that takes into account 
the overall security situation in Korea.  And the President himself 
must take the initiative. 
 
 
IT IS NOT EASY TO CALCULATE PLUSES AND MINUSES OF PSI PARTICIPATION 
 
(Hankook  Ilbo, April 17, 2009, Page 35) 
 
Some people construe the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) as 
a scheme by the U.S. to indirectly 'contain' its strategic rivals 
including China.  Participation by 90 countries including the U.S. 
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) does not give 
further justification to the PSI. 
 
It would be too simple to construe the ROK's full participation in 
the PSI, which the previous Roh Moo-hyun Administration avoided, as 
a 'complete departure' from the Sunshine Policy.  Of course, the Roh 
Administration put inter-Korean relations before the U.S.-ROK 
alliance.  However, the Lee Myung-bak Government should not provoke 
North Korea to aggravate the issues over the Kaesong Industrial 
Complex and a detained ROK civilian.  Also, there is a concern that 
(ships from the two Koreas) could clash at sea. 
 
Furthermore, the ROKG should understand that China, which has as 
much influence on the Korean Peninsula issue as the U.S., is 
sensitive to the PSI.  It would be desirable, rather than 
reproachable, for the ROKG to deeply consider this delicate issue. 
 
 
 
FEATURES 
-------- 
WHY HOLBROOKE, NOT BOSWORTH 
(Chosun Ilbo, April 17, 2009, Page 5) 
 
By Reporter Lim Min-hyeok 
 
Holbrooke asks for the ROK's commitment to Afghanistan and President 
Lee promises to provide "practical help." 
 
Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard 
Holbrooke met President Lee Myung-bak and Foreign Minister Yu 
Myung-hwan in Seoul on April 16.  During the meeting, President Lee 
promised to provide "practical support" to Afghanistan. 
 
The ROKG said Holbrooke was in Seoul to pay his respects on his way 
to a Pakistan donors conference which will take place in Japan on 
 
SEOUL 00000633  006 OF 007 
 
 
Friday.   His visit comes at a delicate time when South Korea feels 
the need to strengthen cooperation with the U.S. more urgently than 
ever before since North Korea is again boycotting the Six-Party 
Talks aimed at ending its nuclear program. 
 
A diplomatic source said, "The fact that Special Representative for 
Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, not Special 
Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth, is visiting 
Seoul at this time is highly symbolic.  It means we have to show 
sincerity in the Afghan issue before we can expect solid cooperation 
from the U.S. in order to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue." 
 
Timing of Holbrooke's visit 
 
Special Representative Richard Holbrooke did not explicitly ask for 
the ROK's increased support including troop deployment.  He 
expressed appreciation to the ROK for contributing considerably to 
the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.  The Obama 
Administration's diplomacy is different from the one-sided diplomacy 
of the Bush Administration.  An ROK official said that the Obama 
Administration asks for help from its allies by seeking their 
voluntary participation. 
 
Early last month, extraordinarily, an official from the U.S. 
Department of Defense specializing in Afghanistan affairs, attended 
the Security Policy Initiative (SPI) meeting.  Also, during the 
recent ROK-U.S. summit held in London, President Obama told 
President Lee that the U.S. needs considerable support in 
Afghanistan.  Holbrooke's visit to the ROK could be interpreted to 
mean that the U.S. is implicitly asking for the ROK's support. 
 
In particular, Holbrooke's visit came when the ROK may need to ask a 
favor of the U.S.  Professor Kim Sung-han at Korea University said 
that now that North Korea intends to derail the Six-Party Talks and 
pursue direct talks with the U.S., the ROK's only leverage could be 
a stronger alliance between the ROK-U.S.  The ROKG remembers the 
nightmare during the first North Korean nuclear crisis in 1994 when 
the ROK was excluded from U.S.-North Korea talks and had to remain 
an outsider.  In order that this not happen again, the ROK should 
pay attention to relations with the U.S. 
 
Observers say that the current situation is similar to 2003 when the 
ROK decided to send its troops to Iraq.  A diplomatic source said 
that, at that time, the Roh Moo-hyun Administration agreed to send 
troops, at the risk of losing its core supporters, in order to steer 
President Bush's hard-line North Korea policy toward a direction it 
wanted. 
 
Was the ROK's military commitment discussed? 
 
The ROKG proposed to the U.S. its plans to provide 30 million 
dollars of additional aid and increase the number of the Provincial 
Reconstruction Team (PRT) personnel from 24 to 90.  It appears that 
this is a preemptive reaction by the ROKG to block any request by 
the U.S. for (the ROK to) deploy troops which is a politically 
sensitive issue.  However, an ROKG official said that the ROK's 
proportional share of the international support for Afghanistan is 
less than 1 percent.  This indicates that the ROKG might consider 
offering additional support. 
 
Recently, President Obama unveiled a new Afghan strategy outlining 
an increase in troops by 21,000.  However, allies did not show an 
active interest (in participating), making the U.S. anxious. 
Therefore, some observers say that President Lee's remarks on 
practical support may hint at the possibility of the ROK's troop 
deployment to Afghanistan.  Some people in the ruling party are 
expressing the opinion that, in the end, a military contribution by 
the ROK would be inevitable.  However, a senior ROKG official said 
that "practical support" chiefly means economic aid.  He added that 
currently there is no discussion on dispatching troops to 
Afghanistan. 
 
 
PRESIDENT LEE: THE ROK WILL LOOK FOR WAYS TO HELP AFGHANISTAN 
 
SEOUL 00000633  007 OF 007 
 
 
(Seoul Shinmun, April 17, 2009, Page 2) 
 
By reporter Lee Jong-lac 
 
President Lee Myung-bak said on April 16 that he will look for ways 
to provide "practical support" to Afghanistan.  He made this comment 
to Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard 
Holbrooke, who is on a visit to the ROK.  This is noteworthy since 
it is President Lee's first (official) remark on the Afghan issue. 
The issue over ROK's troop deployment to Afghanistan has been 
emerging.  President Lee Myung-bak said that the ROK sees the U.S.' 
review of its Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy as a comprehensive 
and realistic approach.  President Lee added that he believes that 
since President Obama is taking united action together with the 
international community,  (President Obama) will address this issue 
successfully. 
 
 
WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF HOLBROOKE'S VISIT? 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, April 17, 2009, Page 4) 
 
By Reporter Lee Je-hoon, Hwang Joon-bum and Lee Yong-in 
 
Presidential Vice Spokesperson Kim Eun-hye said on April 16 that 
President Lee Myung-bak met Special Representative for Afghanistan 
and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke.  She added that President Lee was 
briefed on the U.S. government's review of its Pakistan and 
Afghanistan policies and current developments in the regions. 
 
Holbrooke met separately with Kim Sung-hwan, Senior Presidential 
Secretary for Diplomacy and National Security, Lee Yong-joon, Deputy 
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Kim Tae-hyo, 
Presidential Secretary for National Security Strategy. 
 
Earlier, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan exchanged opinions with 
Holbrooke for about 30 minutes.  An ROK diplomatic official who also 
attended this meeting said that Holbrooke asked the ROK to provide 
police training personnel in order to bolster reconstruction efforts 
in Afghanistan. 
 
 
STEPHENS