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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 SEOUL 000674 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 27, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, All TVs 
Mexican Swine Flu Death Toll Growing, 81 Dead; WHO Warns Swine Flu 
has "Pandemic Potential" 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
This New Strain of Swine Flu Spreads in Humans 
 
Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye Ilbo, 
Seoul Shinmun 
Former President Roh to be Summoned on April 30 
in Bribery Scandal 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
North Korea's Foreign Ministry announced on April 25 that it has 
begun to reprocess spent fuel rods from its nuclear facilities. A 
spokesman for the North's Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying: 
"This will help bolster nuclear deterrence for self-defense in every 
way to cope with the increasing military threat from hostile 
forces," a remark seen as indicating the North's intention to use 
plutonium produced from this reprocessing procedure to make nuclear 
weapons. (All) 
 
This North Korean announcement came just several hours after the UN 
Sanctions Committee slapped sanctions on three North Korean firms 
for aiding Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs. (All) 
 
Nuclear experts estimated that, within three to six months, North 
Korea could yield enough plutonium for at least one more nuclear 
weapon. (Chosun, Hankoyreh) 
 
The Obama Administration sees this North Korean move as presaging a 
second nuclear test by North Korea and is working to come up with 
countermeasures. The U.S. Administration is likely to press North 
Korea to "give up" its nuclear ambitions through bilateral and 
Six-Party talks. (Chosun) 
 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during an April 25 visit to 
Baghdad, "We continue, along with our partners in the Six-Party 
Talks, to press North Korea to return to the obligations which it 
assumed." Secretary Clinton also said in an interview with Fox News: 
"The U.S. does not have evidence of active proliferation, but will 
work with allies so that the North does not pretend that they are in 
compliance with anti-proliferation measures." (Chosun, Dong-a, 
Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul, all TVs) 
 
According to a North Korea expert in Washington, Stephen Bosworth, 
the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy, will soon 
visit countries involved in the Six-Party Talks to discuss the North 
Korean issue. (Chosun, Hankook, Seoul) 
 
According to intelligence authorities, North Korean leader Kim 
Jong-il's youngest son, Jong-un, has been appointed to a post in the 
powerful National Defense Commission, apparently a sign that he is 
being groomed as the North's next leader. (Dong-a, Seoul) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-North Korea 
------------ 
 
 - Trial of Journalists 
On Saturday, April 25, ROK media gave wide coverage to North Korea's 
April 24 announcement that it will put the two detained American 
journalists on trial to face criminal charges. 
 
SEOUL 00000674  002 OF 008 
 
 
 
Most ROK media noted that this announcement came a day after 
Secretary of State Clinton said at a House of Representatives 
hearing, "We should not give in to the unpredictable behavior of the 
North Korean regime."  Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo wrote in a 
headline: "North Korea Launches 'Hostage Diplomacy' Aiming for 
Direct Talks."  Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun speculated that the 
fate of the U.S. detainees will likely depend on future U.S.-North 
Korea relations, rather than North Korean law. 
 
- Reprocessing of Spent Fuel Rods 
The North Korean Foreign Ministry's April 25 announcement - that it 
has begun to reprocess spent fuel rods from its nuclear facilities - 
received wide press coverage today.  The ROK media noted that this 
announcement came just several hours after the UN Sanctions 
Committee slapped sanctions on three North Korean firms for aiding 
Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs. 
 
Most ROK media quoted a spokesman for the North's Foreign Ministry 
as saying: "This will help bolster nuclear deterrence for 
self-defense in every way to cope with the increasing military 
threat from hostile forces."  The media interpreted this statement 
as indicating the North's intention to use plutonium produced from 
this reprocessing procedure to make nuclear weapons. 
 
Citing nuclear experts, conservative Chosun Ilbo and left-leaning 
Hankyoreh Shinmun estimated that, within three to six months, North 
Korea could yield enough plutonium for at least one more nuclear 
weapon. 
 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo also wrote in an inside-page report from 
Washington that the Obama Administration sees this move as presaging 
a second nuclear test by North Korea and is working to come up with 
countermeasures.  The report expected the U.S. Administration to 
press North Korea to "give up" its nuclear ambitions through 
bilateral and Six-Party talks. 
 
Chosun Ilbo and other newspapers quoted Secretary of State Hillary 
Clinton's remark during an April 25 visit to Baghdad, "We continue, 
along with our partners in the Six-Party Talks, to press North Korea 
to return to the obligations which it assumed."  Secretary Clinton 
was also quoted during an interview with Fox News as saying: "The 
U.S. does not have evidence of active proliferation, but will work 
with allies so that the North does not pretend that they are in 
compliance with anti-proliferation measures." 
 
In a related development, most ROK media, citing a North Korea 
expert in Washington, reported that Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. 
Special Representative for North Korea Policy, will soon visit 
countries involved in the Six-Party Talks to discuss the North 
Korean issue. 
 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo editorialized: "There is a possibility that 
North Korea may conduct a second nuclear test around the second half 
of this year.  However, the North's nuclear provocation, as 
evidenced during its recent rocket launch, will only deepen its 
international isolation and heighten international sanctions against 
it. ... The North Korean regime should come to terms with this 
reality and immediately return to the negotiation table." 
 
In an editorial, right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo called for a resolute 
response to North Korea's stepped-up nuclear threats, arguing: "What 
matters now is how the U.S. and the ROK will respond.  The answer 
lies in Secretary Clinton's remark at a recent House hearing that 
(the U.S.) should not give in to the kind of back-and-forth, 
unpredictable behavior of the North Korean regime.  The U.S. should 
keep in mind that unless these words are put into practice as in the 
past, North Korea's bad behavior will repeat itself. " 
 
Conservative Dong-a Ilbo editorialized: "The quid pro quo for North 
Korea abandoning its nuclear programs is enormous.  In addition to 
the economic rewards promised by the Six-Party nations, the 
international community will immediately provide food aid for 
starving North Korean citizens ... Pyongyang's persistent pursuit of 
 
SEOUL 00000674  003 OF 008 
 
 
nuclear programs is a disaster that deprives North Koreans of such 
opportunities. ... The international community should stand united 
to bring change to the North through applying effective pressure. 
To this end, efforts by China and Russia, nations that have 
long-maintained friendly ties with the North, are critical.  In 
addition to persuading the Kim Jong-il regime to follow in their 
footsteps through seeking reform and openness, the two nations 
should also join international efforts to pressure the North." 
 
-Swine Flu 
---------- 
The ROK media reported that the ROKG convened an emergency meeting 
yesterday to draw up measures against a new swine flu virus, which 
claimed the lives of at least 81 people in Mexico and struck 19 
people in the U.S. 
 
According to media reports, the ROKG has decided to strengthen 
inspections on pork imported from Mexico, the U.S. and Canada and to 
tighten medical screening of people arriving from those countries. 
 
Conservative Dong-a Ilbo editorialized: "When it comes to matters 
directly affecting public health, the importance of meticulous 
government action cannot be emphasized enough. With more people 
freely traveling the world, contagious diseases know no national 
boundaries.  Along with heightened surveillance and screening at all 
points of entry such as airports and harbors, the ROKG must take 
full advantage of the real-time international data network to stop 
the swine flu virus from finding its way into Korea. " 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
OBAMA'S 100 DAYS... HAS DIPLOMATIC PARADIGM CHANGED 
(JoongAng Ilbo, April 27, 2009, Page 41) 
 
By Editorial writer Bae Myeong-bok 
 
On April 29, U.S. President Barack Obama will mark his 100th day in 
office.  He will hold a town hall meeting in St. Louis, Missouri and 
a prime-time news conference at 8pm. 
 
USA Today and Gallop Poll surveyed 1, 051 male and female adults for 
Obama's performance based on 5 criteria.  79% evaluated his 
performance to be better than 'just OK.'  In another performance 
survey conducted several days ago by the Pew Research Center, 63% 
supported Obama's performance.  This figure falls short of the 80% 
when he took office, but is not a significant drop given that the 
'honeymoon effect' diminishes over time. 
 
The AP News Agency's results are more encouraging for U.S. President 
Obama.  When asked whether the U.S. is heading in the right 
direction, 48% replied in favor, outstripping the 44% opposed. 
During the lame duck period of former president Bush, 75% of those 
surveyed were opposed compared to only 17% in favor.  President 
Obama's early performance is considered to be quite successful. 
 
However, it is too early to speculate that Obama will become a 
second Roosevelt.  100 days are too short to adequately assess 
performance.  Obama's remarks about 'a glimmer of hope' demonstrate 
his expectations for economic recovery, but the U.S. economy still 
lies dark. 
 
Meanwhile, President Obama has surely scored points in the 
diplomatic area.  During his 100 days, Obama showed a shift along 
diplomatic lines.  Moreover, some people claim that the U.S. 
diplomatic paradigm is changing.  U.S. President Obama extended his 
hand to Iran, which was in the 'axis of evil.'  He also extended a 
conciliatory gesture to Cuba, which is America's 5 decade-long 
enemy, by lifting a ban on money transfers and travel between 
Americans and 1.5 million Cuban Americans.  Making an about-face 
from George W. Bush's policy, he proposed direct talks with Iran 
while permitting Iran's uranium enrichment program to a certain 
level. 
 
SEOUL 00000674  004 OF 008 
 
 
 
Obama amicably shook hands with Venezuelan President Chavez, who was 
a leading figure in antagonizing the U.S.  The picture featuring 
this handshake symbolizes a drastic change in U.S. diplomacy. 
President Obama is seeking a multilateral, realistic line through 
smart diplomacy that combines hard power with soft power. 
 
 When asked about the difference in his diplomacy from Bush's 
diplomacy during the London G20 summit earlier this month, Obama 
responded that he believes that he can exercise the greatest 
leadership when listening to others, setting an example and showing 
modesty.  Key terms for Obama's diplomacy are "modesty" and "by 
example. " 
 
Some claim that Obama's 'low-profile' diplomacy reminiscent of 
Mikhail Gorbachev does not secure U.S. national interest in this 
precarious world.  However, his diplomacy has gained broad support 
at home and abroad.  In the Gallop Polls, Americans said that the 
best thing that President Obama did during his 100 days was to 
elevate the international image of the U.S. 
 
Of course, he has not yet yielded any tangible results.  Iran 
sentenced a U.S. female reporter detained on espionage charges to 8 
years in prison.  European countries remain indifferent to U.S. 
request for additional troop deployment to Afghanistan.  Moreover, 
North Korea launched a long-range rocket and has begun to reprocess 
fuel rods from its nuclear facilities.  North Korea is rejecting 
dialogue and compromise.  Obama responds to North Korea by 
strategically ignoring it.  However, a time will come when the U.S. 
cannot neglect North Korea any longer because it will likely either 
conduct a second nuclear test or re-extract plutonium. 
 
At that time, heated discussions over how to deal with a crying 
pampered child will take place, and Obama's diplomacy could hit a 
snag.  Arguments for harshly punishing the spoiled child and 
hard-line attacks against 'Smart Diplomacy' will likely ensue. 
Another factor is China, which has made moves towards becoming a 
great country amid the global economic crisis.  Therefore, to 
restrain China, North Korea may rise on the U.S. list of diplomatic 
priorities. 
 
For the past 100 days, Obama diplomacy has just sown the seeds.  We 
have to wait and see what fruit the seeds will bear. 
 
 
OBAMA VS. OBAMA 
(Hankook Ilbo, April 27, 2009, Page 35) 
 
By Washington Correspondent Hwang Yu-seok 
 
With the 100th day of Obama's presidency approaching, there are 
lively debates about Obama's governing style in Washington.  Most of 
them are focused on whether President Obama is making good on his 
campaign pledges or whether his initial policies are too drastic. 
 
President Obama is getting relatively good marks in the area of 
campaign pledges.  Although it is premature to predict the foreign 
policy and economic outcomes, which are the two most important 
pillars of state affairs, the view that things are going in the 
right direction is prevalent.  The results of the opinion polls are 
about the same. 
 
In foreign affairs, he departed from the George W. Bush 
Administration's Cold War-era dichotomy between "friends and foes" 
and showed that there can be various middle grounds between friends 
and foes.  He presented the possibility that foes can be friends and 
friends can be foes. 
 
In economic matters, he succeeded to some degree in spreading the 
belief that when the government exercises adequate control over the 
market, the market can be healthier.  We should not belittle the 
fact that he put the brakes on the economy of greed, which was 
falling into a bottomless pit. 
 
 
SEOUL 00000674  005 OF 008 
 
 
At issue is whether these policies will ultimately be beneficial to 
the U.S. Although President Obama 
 
                                  is enjoying majority support from 
the people and around the world, his actions may not necessarily 
correspond to the national interest.  This opposition Republican 
Party often raises this criticism, but these days, civilian experts 
and media are cautiously taking part.  Among the most symbolic and 
concrete examples (of Obama's policies) are President Obama's 
"handshake diplomacy" with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who 
heads a group of left-wing Latin American leaders, and the  release 
of memos on harsh CIA interrogations.  Some point out, "Why do we 
have to see President Obama holding hands with the leader of an 
anti-U.S. country?" and "Doesn't depicting the CIA interrogation 
techniques as immoral, which aims to protect the U.S., and holding 
those responsible accountable serve the U.S. national interest?" 
 
(Skeptics) say that ruling out the possibility of President Chavez's 
abusing the U.S.'s outstretched hand for political purposes and 
simply thinking  that, "If we open our heart, they will do, too," is 
too naove to ensure the safety of the U.S.  This naivety is 
reflected in Obama's recent statement that "(Since Venezuela's) 
defense budget is probably 1/600th of the U.S., it is unlikely that 
my shaking hands or having a polite conversation with Mr. Chavez 
will endanger the strategic interests of the U.S." 
 
Many news agencies, including The AP, compare President Obama with 
the Soviet Union's last President Mikhail Gorbachev.  Just as 
Gorbachev's "new idea of putting reason ahead of ideology" led the 
Soviet Union toward ruin and allowed the U.S. unilateral dominance, 
President Obama's "low-profile diplomacy" could damage U.S. 
leadership.  Despite Obama's beckoning, Iran, Venezuela and North 
Korea are still having their own way. 
 
In response, the Obama Administration is carrying out a policy of 
pragmatic diplomacy.  Although opponents dismiss pragmatism as 
weakness, indecisiveness, and populism, pragmatism is the only first 
step in solving entangled matters, as it puts an end to intransigent 
and rigid thoughts." 
 
In this sense, President Obama should now change course from his 
first 100-day goal of "overcoming Bush's legacy."  From now on, the 
success or failure of the Obama Administration will be determined by 
how it projects its identity to the people and solidify internal 
unity. 
 
 
WE SHOULD RESOLUTELY DEAL WITH NORTH KOREA'S STEPPED-UP NUCLEAR 
THREATS 
(JoongAng Ilbo, April 27, 2009, Page 42) 
 
North Korea is escalating its nuclear threats on the international 
community.  Following a boycott of the Six-Party Talks and expulsion 
of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitor, North Korea 
said on April 25 that it has begun reprocessing spent fuel rods from 
its nuclear facilities.  North Korea is threatening to take action 
to extract nuclear weapons-grade plutonium. 
 
North Korea's nuclear blackmail is nothing new.  In fact, nuclear 
saber-rattling is the best card North Korea can play to secure 
national gains in negotiations with other countries.  North Korea 
has deployed similar tactics over the past 15 years since 1993.  Of 
course, North Korea has won political and economical gains through 
these tactics.  Also, the U.S. and the ROK have engaged in talks 
with North Korea while providing massive economic assistance. 
 
However, now it is time for North Korea to objectively consider what 
practical gains have resulted (from these tactics).  When the Geneva 
Agreement was reached in 1994, North Korea sang its own praises for 
making the U.S. submit.  However, the construction of the second 
light water reactor, which was touted as the North's biggest 
accomplishment, was not completed.  It was the same with 2002's 
second nuclear crisis.  What North Korea earned after engaging in a 
complicated dance that included a nuclear test was being delisted as 
 
SEOUL 00000674  006 OF 008 
 
 
a sponsor of terrorism and several hundred thousand tons of heavy 
oil.  However, the North can be listed as a sponsor of terrorism 
again if the U.S. pushes for it.  Considering the nature of 
negotiations, the economic recovery or security guarantee that the 
North Korean leadership seeks is still remote. 
 
North Korea's gravest mistake is pushing too hard even before the 
U.S. government has completed reviewing its North Korea policy. 
North Korea should be well aware that the Obama Administration took 
a stance that benefitted North Korea before its inauguration. 
Nevertheless, North Korea launched a long-range rocket and vowed to 
quit the Six Party Talks.  How can the U.S. respond to such 
recklessness? 
 
North Korea, which has held talks with the U.S. since the nuclear 
test following its 2006 long-range missile launch, will surely 
escalate its threats.  The Choson Sinbo, the newspaper for the 
pro-North Korean group in Japan, raised the possibility that North 
Korea may conduct a nuclear test.  Therefore, what matters now is 
how the U.S. and the ROK will respond.  The answer lies in Secretary 
Clinton's remark at a recent House hearing that (the U.S.) should 
not give in to the kind of back-and-forth, unpredictable behavior of 
the North Korean regime.  The U.S. should keep in mind that unless 
these words are put into practice as in the past, North Korea's bad 
behavior will repeat itself. 
 
 
NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT TO MAINTAIN ITS REGIME IS A 
DISASTER FOR NORTH KOREANS 
(Dong-a Ilbo, April 27, 2009, Page 31) 
 
North Korea announced on April 25 that it had started to reprocess 
spent fuel rods at the Yongbyon nuclear facilities.  This 
announcement came in response to the UN Security Council Sanctions 
Committee's placing sanctions on three North Korean companies 
following the North's rocket launch.  When U.S. Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton stated on April 22, "The U.S. should not give in to 
the unpredictable behavior of the North Korean regime," North Korea 
put two U.S. reporters on trial and hinted at a second nuclear test. 
 North Korea is ratcheting up tensions with the world, as if to say, 
"Let's see who is going to win." 
 
Two weeks ago, when the UN Security Council adopted the presidential 
statement on North Korea's rocket launch, Pyongyang proclaimed that 
it would respond by "quitting the Six-Party Talks and resuming 
nuclear development."  North Korea now seems to be implementing its 
pronouncement by reprocessing about 6,500 stored spent fuel rods. 
It will also likely soon restore its nuclear facilities, which was 
being disabled under a denuclearization agreement with the 
international community. 
 
The Kim Jong-il group is telling its people that nuclear development 
is designed to "bolster the nuclear deterrence to cope with military 
threats from hostile forces."  At present, no country in the world 
poses a military threat to the North.  The international community 
only wants the North to give up its nuclear development, which is 
sparking arms buildup in Northeast Asia and threatens world peace, 
and take the path towards becoming a normal state.  Then, the North 
will be substantially rewarded under the Six-Party agreement.  The 
entire world is aware that North Korea is using nuclear development 
to rattle its saber against the outside world and to solidify its 
internal unity to sustain a hereditary dictatorship, but the Kim 
Jong-il group is still trying to distort the goodwill of the 
international community and deceive North Korean residents. 
 
The quid pro quo for North Korea abandoning nuclear programs is 
enormous.  In addition to the economic rewards promised by Six-Party 
nations, the international community will immediately provide food 
aid for starving North Korean residents.  The North could also 
escape from economic difficulties by revitalizing economic ties with 
the ROK, normalizing relations with the U.S., and engaging in 
exchange with the outside world.  Pyongyang's persistent pursuit of 
nuclear programs is a disaster that deprives North Koreans of such 
opportunities.  Should international sanctions tighten, the North 
 
SEOUL 00000674  007 OF 008 
 
 
Korean regime will ultimately head closer to collapse. 
 
It is desirable for the Kim Jong-il regime to abandon its delusions 
about nuclear programs.  However, this appears unlikely. 
Therefore, the international community should stand united to bring 
change to the North through applying effective pressure.   To this 
end, efforts by China and Russia, nations that have long maintained 
friendly relations with the North, are critical.  In addition to 
persuading the Kim Jong-il regime to follow in their footsteps 
through seeking reform and openness, the two nations should also 
join international efforts to pressure the North. 
 
For its part, the ROKG should consistently adhere to its principles 
on North Korea-related matters, including the Kaesong Industrial 
Complex and the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), with an 
unwavering attitude. 
 
 
¶N. KOREA MUST FACE THE NEW REALITY 
(Chosun Ilbo, April 27, 2009, Page 31) 
 
North Korea on Saturday claimed the reprocessing of spent fuel rods 
from the atomic power plant in Yongbyon "has begun."  The communist 
country once again turned to its nuclear option after the UN 
Security Council selected three North Korean businesses as targets 
for sanctions and froze US$31.7 million of their overseas assets. 
 
When the Security Council issued a statement on April 14 denouncing 
North Korea's long-range rocket launch, the communist country 
announced that it would pull out permanently from the Six-Party 
Talks and vowed to drastically strengthen its nuclear deterrence. 
 
Experts in the ROK and the U.S. said the brinkmanship demonstrated 
by North Korea was expected and added it was the North that appeared 
nervous and puzzled.  It is clear that things are not going the way 
North Korea wants them to.  It declared on April 5 that it had 
succeeded in launching a long-range rocket, but Gen. James 
Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 
nobody would buy missiles from a country that failed three times in 
test firing them.  And when North Korea announced on Friday that it 
would put two U.S. journalists who had been detained for more than a 
month on trial, Washington did not dispatch a special envoy to ask 
humbly to talk about the matter. 
 
In a 10-page diplomatic priority report submitted to the U.S. 
Congress on Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton removed the 
North Korean issue altogether.  When questioned by senators, Clinton 
said the U.S. must maintain a strong, resolute and uniform stance 
and not be swayed by North Korea's grandstanding.  In other words, 
she was saying Washington no longer intends to be dragged around by 
North Korea's nuclear provocation and plans to use the tactics of 
pressure and neglect until it agrees to talks.  The situation has 
headed in a direction North Korea did not expect. 
 
To reprocess spent fuel rods, North Korea has begun cleaning up 
radiation chemistry laboratories at the Yongbyon plant, which had 
been closed down for some time.  If North Korea activates these 
facilities and reprocesses the remaining spent fuel rods, it can 
obtain up to 7 kg of plutonium in three to four months.  North Korea 
already has around 30 kg of plutonium.  The U.S. and the ROK do not 
place a tremendous amount of emphasis on how much more plutonium 
North Korea may end up with. 
 
At this rate, there is a strong possibility that North Korea may 
conduct a second nuclear test around the second half of this year. 
However, the North's nuclear provocation, as evidenced during its 
recent rocket launch, will only deepen its international isolation 
and heighten international sanctions against it.  In that event it 
will be even harder for China and Russia to support (the North). 
Clinton said Saturday that the U.S., along with other members of the 
Six-Party Talks, will continue to pressure North Korea so that it 
returns to the Six-Party Talks and resumes its nuclear commitments. 
Clinton added she hopes dialogue will resume.  The North Korean 
regime should come to terms with this reality and immediately return 
 
SEOUL 00000674  008 OF 008 
 
 
to the negotiation table. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR ISSUE BECOMING MORE COMPLICATED AMID 
CONFRONTATION AND INDIFFERENCE 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, April 27, 2009, Page 27) 
 
North Korea announced on April 25 that it had started to reprocess 
spent fuel rods at the Yongbyon nuclear facility and would bolster 
its "nuclear deterrence for self-defense."  This announcement came 
in response to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee's 
sanctioning three North Korean firms following the North's rocket 
launch.  As North Korea warned in an April 14 Foreign Ministry 
statement, the situation seems to be getting worse every day. 
 
Considering North Korea's behavior regarding nuclear programs, the 
situation has gone back to before the February 13, 2007 Agreement. 
North Korea has expelled International Atomic Energy Agency 
inspectors from Yongbyon and now threatens to extract weapons-grade 
plutonium.  As the North has claimed, the existing Six-Party 
agreements have already become meaningless.  Of course, it will take 
some time to restart the nuclear facilities, which have already been 
largely disabled, but North Korea's nuclear capability will grow 
further with time.  Some cooling-off period following the rocket 
launch may be inevitable, but if the situation continues to 
deteriorate, it will be difficult to later reverse course. 
 
North Korea's restraint and realistic understanding are now 
necessities.  The UN Security Council's sanctions on North Korea 
following its rocket launch reflect a reasonable judgment from the 
international community.  Even though North Korea insists that its 
rocket launch was a satellite launch, many countries take it as a 
threat.  North Korea should consider why there is big gap in 
understanding between the North and the international community and 
adjust its behavior to alleviate international distrust. 
 
The U.S. is also to blame for this situation because it has 
procrastinated even after deciding on the direction of North Korea 
policy that calls for a comprehensive resolution and the 
strengthening of direct negotiations.  Considering the Obama 
Administration's delay in forming its Korean Peninsula team - the 
official nomination of Kurt Campbell as Assistant Secretary for East 
Asian and Pacific Affairs only came recently - the U.S. 
Administration is moving too slowly. The U.S. acts without strategic 
consideration by addressing the North Korean issue only when it 
emerges as a pending problem.  This tact only further complicates 
the North Korean nuclear issue.  The U.S. should rapidly conclude 
its review of North Korea policy and come forward to establish a new 
negotiation framework that combines (bilateral) talks with North 
Korea and the Six-Party Talks. 
 
The ROKG has a big role to play.  First, it must make efforts to 
improve inter-Korean relations.  In particular, the ROK should make 
sure that talks with North Korea regarding the Kaesong Industrial 
Complex, which will be held soon, yield tangible results.  These 
talks should lead to a breakthrough for better inter-Korean 
relations.  Moreover, the ROK should provide active support to 
ensure that U.S.-North Korea talks are held in a prompt and in-depth 
manner.  The ROK should increase its weight in the Korean Peninsula 
discussions.  Neglecting the North Korean nuclear issue now will 
lead to more trouble for all countries. 
 
 
STEPHENS