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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SEOUL 000676 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; April 28, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
Fear, Masks... and Prayers 
Mexico City Turns into "Ghost City" after being Hit 
by Swine Flu... Streets Empty, 103 People Dead and 
Most Outdoor Events Suspended 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
ROK Health Authorities: "Korea Can Control Swine Flu Thanks to 
Improved Health Infrastructure 
Following the Fight against SARS in 2003" 
 
Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo 
ROKG Puts 10,000 People Who Have Entered the Country from U.S. and 
Mexico since April 17 under "Observation" 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
U.S. Declares Public Health Emergency over Swine Flu 
 
Segye Ilbo, All TVs 
Swine Flu Spreading Quickly Worldwide 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
Swine Flu Feared to Pose a New Threat 
to Global Economic Recovery 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
The ROKG yesterday designated swine flu as an "infectious disease" 
so as to lay the legal groundwork for the culling of affected 
animals to prevent the virus from spreading. (All) 
 
Seoul is focusing on the early detection of suspected swine flu 
cases as well as the implementation of preventive measures. (All) 
 
U.S. Ambassador to the ROK Kathleen Stephens received an honorary 
doctorate in political science from Chungnam National University on 
April 27. (JoongAng, Seoul) 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
With swine flu spreading quickly worldwide, countries around the 
world are rushing to contain the spread of the new virus; countries 
are urging their citizens to refrain from traveling to affected 
countries, including Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. (All) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-North Korea 
------------ 
Commentary continues to flow in the wake of North Korea's April 25 
announcement that it has begun to reprocess spent fuel rods from its 
nuclear facilities. 
 
Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized: "North Korea's reactivation of 
the Yongbyon nuclear facility will turn the North Korean nuclear 
clock back to before the February 13, 2007 Agreement ... 
jeopardizing the hard-won achievements of the Six-Party Talks. ... 
North Korea should objectively consider what good it will do to make 
provocations that contradict international expectations. ... China 
and Russia have been on the North's side so far, but if the North 
continues to make provocations, who can guarantee that the two 
nations will not turn their back on the North? ... North Korea ... 
should immediately come forward to reestablish ties with the UN and 
the international community.  The first step toward that end is to 
return to the Six-Party Talks." 
 
SEOUL 00000676  002 OF 004 
 
 
 
-Swine Flu Developments 
----------------------- 
The ROK media gave top play to the spread of swine flu across the 
globe.   According to media reports, the number of suspected deaths 
in Mexico increased to 103 as of April 27 and a number of cases have 
also been confirmed in the U.S., Canada, France, Spain and New 
Zealand. 
 
Seoul's countermeasures against swine flu received wide attention. 
The ROK media reported that Seoul has decided to expand the daily 
check system for swine flu to all medical institutions nationwide 
and designated swine flu as an "infectious disease" so as to lay the 
legal groundwork for the culling of affected animals to prevent the 
virus from spreading.  Seoul was also reported to have put under 
observation some 10,000 people who entered the country from the U.S. 
and Mexico since April 17 and urged caution in traveling to affected 
areas. 
 
Newspapers carried the following headlines: "No one Knows Yet How 
This New Virus Operates... Treatment Available but No Specific 
Vaccine Available to Protect Humans against the Virus" (Conservative 
Chosun Ilbo); "Korea Can Control Swine Flu Thanks to Improved Health 
Infrastructure Following the Fight against SARS in 2003" 
(right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo); "Swine Flu Outbreak Amounts to 
Rubbing Salt into the Wound of Global Economy" (Conservative Dong-a 
Ilbo); and "Swine Flu Feared to Pose a New Threat to Global Economic 
Recovery" (Moderate Seoul Shinmun). 
 
The editorials of most ROK newspapers called for strengthened 
national monitoring and quarantine measures against swine flu and 
for voluntary reporting from citizens with flu-like symptoms. 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo, in particular, commented in its editorial: 
"In this global age where hundreds of millions of people migrate 
from one country to another each year, the pace of the globalization 
of a disease has overtaken (that of inventing) preventive 
measures." 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
NORTH KOREA'S 'NUCLEAR GAME' 
(Hankook Ilbo, April 28, 2009, Page 35) 
 
North Korea is accelerating its move against denuclearization.  In 
protest against the UN Security Council's presidential statement 
condemning its rocket launch, North Korea vowed on April 14 to 
boycott the Six-Party Talks.  Moreover, North Korea said on April 25 
that it has begun reprocessing spent fuel rods (from its nuclear 
facilities).  These responses came in time when the UN Sanctions 
Committee finalized its blacklist of North Korean entities to be 
sanctioned. 
 
North Korea's reactivation of the Yongbyon nuclear facility will 
turn the North Korean nuclear clock back to before the February 13, 
2007 Agreement.  North Korea has abandoned the principle of shutting 
down and disabling its nuclear facilities in return for receiving 1 
million tons of economic and energy aid.  This can jeopardize the 
hard-won achievements of the Six-Party Talks.  North Korea may 
attempt to obtain plutonium capable of manufacturing one more 
nuclear weapon by reprocessing spent fuel rods.  Furthermore, North 
Korea may push for construction of a new nuclear reactor and uranium 
enrichment. 
 
However, North Korea should objectively consider what is the good of 
making provocations that contradict international expectations.  It 
is evident that its escalating provocations will only deepen its 
international isolation and heighten international sanctions and 
pressures against it. 
 
China and Russia have been on North Korea's side so far, but if 
North Korea continues to make provocations, who can guarantee that 
even the two nations will not turn their back on the North?  In that 
 
SEOUL 00000676  003 OF 004 
 
 
case, it will be difficult for the North to achieve the goals that 
it has long been obsessed with -sustaining a regime survival and 
becoming a strong and powerful country through economic growth. 
 
North Korea's argument that its provocative behavior is inevitable 
because it is denied a legitimate right to use space and has been 
punished with sanctions for firing a satellite is not right.  When 
even North Korea's state-run media organizations do not deny the 
military significance of the long-range rocket launch, it is natural 
for the international community to express concern and impose some 
sanctions on the North.  North Korea should submit to those 
sanctions, and after the cooling-off period, it should immediately 
reestablish relations with the UN and the international community. 
The first step toward that end is to return to the Six-Party Talks. 
 
Other related nations, including the U.S., should go beyond 
sanctions and criticism and make serious efforts to find a 
breakthrough.  Although giving in to North Korea's unreasonable 
threat is not right, we should not sit back and watch the situation 
spin out of control. 
 
 
ROK MUST BE PREPARED FOR SWINE FLU OUTBREAK 
(Chosun Ilbo, April 28, 2009, Page 27) 
 
Just 10 days after the first outbreak of swine influenza in Mexico 
on April 17, the number of people infected with the virus has risen 
to around 1,600, one hundred three of whom have died.  A string of 
people in the U.S., Canada, France, England, Brazil and New Zealand 
who had visited Mexico show possible symptoms of the illness.  The 
U.S., where 20 people have been reported as having contracted swine 
flu, has declared a public health emergency, and the World Health 
Organization is calling the outbreak a "public-health emergency of 
international concern" and urging governments to step up preventive 
measures.  WHO Director-General Margaret Chan offered a gloomy 
prediction, saying it may be too late to block a global spread. 
 
Swine flu is caused by an influenza A virus that affects the 
respiratory systems of pigs.  Until now, it was a disease that 
affected only pig farmers, but the virus seems to have mutated to 
become a dangerous strain that can be passed on from one human being 
to another. 
 
In 1918, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 40 million people around 
the world.  In this global age where hundreds of millions of people 
migrate from one country to another each year, the pace of the 
globalization of a disease has overtaken (that of inventing) 
preventive measures. 
 
The first human swine flu patient was found in Mexico on April 13. 
(The ROK) government was informed by the WHO last Friday of the 
possibility of the virus spreading across the world.  Over those 11 
days, a considerable number of people arrived in the ROK after 
visiting Mexico.  The government must track them down and determine 
whether or not anyone who arrived recently from Mexico has flu 
symptoms like high fever.  People who visit Mexico for business must 
be checked when they arrive in the ROK. 
 
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has enough of 
the influenza drug Tamiflu in stock to treat 2.4 million people. 
But some experts say there should be enough stockpiled for 5 percent 
of the ROK's population, or 5 million people.  More hospitals must 
be prepared to isolate and treat patients who show symptoms. 
 
The virus dies in temperatures over 71 degrees Celsius, so in order 
to ensure that hog farmers will not be hurt financially, televised 
messages need to explain that eating properly cooked pork is 
completely safe. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
 
 
SEOUL 00000676  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
STEPHENS