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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 SEOUL 000732 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; May 8, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
Prosecution Secures "Park Yeon-cha List" Containing Names of Ruling 
Camp Officials and Senior Prosecutors 
Who Allegedly Received Money from Park 
 
JoongAng Ilbo, All TVs 
New Information that Taekwang Industrial CEO Park Yeon-cha Gave 900 
Million Won to Chun Shin-il, a Close Friend of President Lee, 
Shortly Before 2007 Presidential Election 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
Chun Shin-il Suspected of Tax Evasion 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
Prosecutors Raid Home and Offices of 
President Lee's Close Friend Chun 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Prosecutors Obtain Evidence that Chun Received Money 
from Park in Return for Helping Avoid Tax Probe into Park's 
Companies 
 
Segye Ilbo 
"Economic Recovery May Still Be Far Away" 
ROKG Puts the Brakes on Rash Optimism 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
Chun Shin-il Likely to be Summoned Early Next Week 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
The Chief ROK Delegate to the Six-Party Talks, Wi Sung-lac, said in 
a recent interview with the Financial Times that North Korea-China 
talks could be useful if they lead to the resumption of the 
deadlocked Six-Party Talks. (JoongAng) 
There is reportedly confusion within the USG and the ROKG, 
respectively, over Seoul's aid for Afghanistan following last 
month's visit to Seoul by U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and 
Pakistan Richard Holbrooke. The State Department believes that 
Ambassador Holbrooke fully delivered Washington's needs to the ROK, 
while the Defense Department is displeased that Ambassador Holbrooke 
did not stress the need for Seoul to send troops to the war-torn 
country. Also within the ROKG, Foreign Ministry officials think that 
it is sufficient for Seoul to expand its personnel and material aid 
to Afghanistan without redeploying troops, but the Blue House and 
the Defense Ministry think otherwise. (Chosun) 
 
The ROKG will likely propose a second round of government-level 
talks with North Korea soon over the jointly-run Kaesong Industrial 
Complex. If the North accepts the proposal, the talks are expected 
to take place as early as next week. (JoongAng, Dong-a, Hankook, 
Hankyoreh, Segye, Seoul, all TVs, Pressian) 
 
The ROK and the U.S. will hold their first trade ministerial meeting 
since the launch of the Obama Administration in Washington on May 
¶14. The meeting will likely be a "watershed" for the prompt 
ratification of the KORUS FTA. (Hankook, all TVs) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
According to a May 7 Radio Free Asia (RFA) report citing a senior 
U.S. official, Washington is considering a new format for 
multilateral talks with North Korea unless the North returns to the 
Six-Party Talks. (Dong-a) 
 
 
SEOUL 00000732  002 OF 005 
 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-North Korea 
------------ 
Moderate Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun gave play to yesterday's 
meetings in Beijing between U.S. Special Representative for North 
Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth and Chinese officials, including 
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Chief Delegate to the Six-Party 
Talks Wu Dawei.  The newspapers reported that China discussed (with 
Ambassador Bosworth) sending a "ministerial-level" envoy to North 
Korea during yesterday's meetings in order to persuade Pyongyang to 
return to the Six-Pay Talks. 
 
Conservative Dong-a Ilbo and state-run KBS TV replayed a May 7 Radio 
Free Asia (RFA) report that Washington is considering a new format 
for multilateral talks with North Korea unless the North returns to 
the Six-Party Talks.  A senior U.S. official was quoted by RFA as 
mentioning a need to seek a new form of multilateral talks, rather 
than launching bilateral talks with Pyongyang. 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo carried a quote from the Chief ROK 
Delegate to the Six-Party Talks, Wi Sung-lac, who said in a recent 
interview with the Financial Times that North Korea-China talks 
could be useful if they lead to the resumption of the deadlocked 
Six-Party Talks. 
 
-Aid to Afghanistan 
------------------- 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo reported from Washington that there is 
confusion within the USG and the ROKG, respectively, over Seoul's 
aid for Afghanistan following last month's visit to Seoul by U.S. 
Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke. 
 
The newspaper reported that the State Department believes that 
Ambassador Holbrooke fully delivered Washington's needs to the ROK 
but that the Defense Department is displeased that Ambassador 
Holbrooke did not stress the need for Seoul to send troops to the 
war-torn country.  Also within the ROKG, Foreign Ministry officials 
think that it is sufficient for Seoul to expand its personnel and 
material aid to Afghanistan without redeploying troops, but the Blue 
House and the Defense Ministry think otherwise, according to the 
newspaper report. 
 
 
FEATURES 
-------- 
 
WHAT DID HOLBROOKE SAY?... CONFUSION WITHIN THE USG AND THE ROKG 
OVER SEOUL'S AID TO AFGHANISTAN 
(Chosun Ilbo, May 8, 2009, Page 5) 
 
By Washington Correspondent Lee Ha-won 
 
There is reported confusion within the ROKG and the USG over whether 
Seoul will redeploy its troops to Afghanistan following last month's 
visit to the ROK by U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan 
Richard Holbrooke (68).  During meetings with President Lee 
Myung-bak and other ROKG officials, Ambassador Holbrooke 
successfully conveyed (Washington's) hope for the ROK to take a more 
active role in Afghanistan but reportedly failed to provide precise 
details. 
 
Even in the Obama Administration, the Departments of State and 
Defense have different interpretations on the matter.  The 
Department of State believes that Holbrooke satisfied Washington's 
needs by delivering a message which solicits material aid from the 
ROK. 
 
Pentagon officials, however, who want the ROK to provide a 
"substantial" troop presence, are displeased that Holbrooke did not 
stress the need for Seoul to send troops to the war-torn country. 
They say that the possible miscommunication could give the ROKG the 
 
SEOUL 00000732  003 OF 005 
 
 
wrong impression that Washington is not interested in Seoul's troop 
redeployment. 
 
A source in Washington noted, "Apart from divergent views of 
Holbrooke's work between the Departments of State and Defense, there 
is criticism that Holbrooke is acting on his own authority." 
 
An influential source said that even ROKG officials have different 
interpretations about Holbrooke's message.  The foreign ministry 
thinks that it is sufficient for Seoul to expand its personnel and 
material aid to Afghanistan without redeploying troops, but the Blue 
House and the defense ministry think otherwise.  Observers say that 
this is why Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon recently visited 
Washington D.C. for a separate meeting with Ambassador Holbrooke. 
Holbrooke makes independent decisions about Afghan and Pakistan 
issues, top priorities for U.S. President Barack Obama. 
 
(Ambassador Holbrooke's) office with 25 staff members takes up 
almost an entire floor of the State Department building.  This 
stands in sharp contrast with the fact that U.S. Special 
Representative for North Korea Policy Stephens Bosworth has only one 
staff member. 
 
The New York Times recently reported on the worriment felt by other 
diplomats (at the State Department) about Holbrooke's return to the 
diplomatic arena, with  The Washington Post going so far as to 
write, "The Ego has landed."  Holbrooke's personality, which is as 
strong as his driving force, has often stirred up controversy even 
among U.S. diplomats. 
 
 
Former GNP Leader Park: "Sending Special Envoy to Pyongyang Is Not a 
Solution" 
(Daily Chosun, May 7, 2009) 
 
Former ruling Grand National Party leader Park Geun-hye made clear 
her opposition to the dispatch of a special envoy to Pyongyang to 
resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. 
 
According to her close aide Rep. Lee Jung-hyun, during a question 
and answer session with reporters after her lecture on "Korea and 
the U.S. in a Rapidly Changing World" at the Walter H. Shorenstein 
Asia-Pacific Research Center of Stanford University on May 6Park 
said, "A personal by me will not resolve the issue.". 
 
Park stressed, "(The dispatch of a special envoy to Pyongyang) is 
possible only when the North has the intention or willingness to 
meet a person sent by the ROKG and discuss problems on the Korean 
Peninsula." 
 
Below are excerpts from the question and answer session with Park. 
 
¶Q. What direction should the Obama Administration take on North 
Korea? 
 
"In my opinion, the Obama Administration seems to be deeply thinking 
about how to resolve this (nuclear) issue, rather than presenting 
any alternative.  I told (Washington) that it should not go the same 
way as before.  Whenever a crisis came up, (the U.S.) had dialogue 
(with the North) and gave rewards (to the North), and in the 
meantime, the North continued to develop nuclear weapons.  To 
prevent a repeat of this pattern, (the Obama Administration) should 
learn from the past. 
 
(The Obama Administration) should clarify the three goals.  First, 
it should be unwavering in the principle that there should no 
nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.  Second, it should make 
clear that the vicious cycle (of North Korea's actions )must be 
broken.  Third, it should help the North become a responsible member 
of the international community." 
 
¶Q.  North Korea rejected the resumption of the Six-Party Talks.  Do 
you have any intention to visit Pyongyang and help overcome the 
issue? 
 
SEOUL 00000732  004 OF 005 
 
 
 
"I do not think that a personal by me will resolve the issue. 
Recently, there was talk of a state-level envoy tasked with a 
special mission, but that issue can be discussed only when the North 
has the intention or willingness to meet a person sent by the ROKG 
and discuss problems on the Korean Peninsula.  The issue will not be 
resolved simply by taking the unilateral approach of sending an 
envoy to the North." 
 
¶Q. These days, there is much concern about the U.S.-ROK alliance, 
and anti-U.S. sentiment is spreading among the ROK people.  What do 
you think anti-U.S. sentiment in the ROK originates from, and how do 
you think we should respond to it? 
 
"As I briefly mentioned during the speech, there have been several 
uncomfortable, embarrassing incidents (in U.S.-ROK relations). 
Despite that, the relationship will not unravel easily, considering 
that the two blood allies share the same values and fought alongside 
in many wars.  I think that under the current administration, the 
relations are being restored.  I believe that anti-U.S. sentiment is 
the same in every nation.  In a free state, we have this kind of 
person or that kind of person.  Their thoughts sometimes emerge to 
the surface or sometimes subside beneath it through government 
policies, and I do not think that anti-U.S. sentiment is especially 
deep-rooted (in ROK society.) 
 
I am sure that the beef issue is not at all related to anti-U.S. 
sentiment.  There may have been some people who tried to use the 
issue to fuel anti-U.S. sentiment.  However, (many people) simply 
distrusted (U.S.) beef imports because the ROKG imported it without 
giving a sufficient enough explanation (as to why they resumed 
imports in spite of the perceived health risk by the certain members 
of the public).  It sparked public anxiety over food.  People want 
to eat safe food.  The beef controversy is attributable to the 
absence of explanations and procedures, and it has never been about 
anti-U.S. sentiment. 
 
The FTA issue is also unrelated to anti-U.S. sentiment.  The two 
nations signed the deal because it is beneficial to each other, and 
therefore, it is not related to anti-U.S. sentiment.  If the ROK had 
opened its beef market to other nations without sufficient 
explanation or appropriate procedures, the people would have felt 
uneasy, too." 
 
¶Q. You said that the vicious cycle (of North Korea's actions) must 
be stopped.  However, while the nuclear crisis is related to peace 
on the Korean Peninsula, rewards for the North are related to 
humanitarian assistance.  You also said that we should lead the 
North to become a responsible member (of the international 
community).Do you have any specific measures for that? 
 
"The issue of providing rewards to the North is a little bit 
different from the issue of humanitarian aid.  In fact, when the 
North Koreans are in economic difficulty, not only the ROK but also 
other nations, including the U.S., are willing to help them on 
humanitarian grounds.  However, as long as North Korea has nuclear 
weapons, it is impossible (to offer humanitarian aid.)  I think that 
there is no way for the North to survive economically through 
humanitarian aid.  In the past, the Soviet Union had a large number 
of nuclear weapons and missiles, but, in the end, it collapsed due 
to its economic difficulties.  Likewise, as long as the North has 
nuclear weapons, no nation will invest in the North, and it is also 
impossible for the South to engage in economic exchanges with North 
Korea through extensive investment.  Therefore, if the North 
continues to isolate itself from the whole world by possessing 
nuclear weapons and violating UNSC resolutions, it will be 
increasingly difficult for the North to get what it wants. 
Abandoning nuclear weapons is the only way for the North to receive 
humanitarian aid and make its people happy.  (The nuclear issue) is 
not a matter to be resolved through humanitarian aid. 
 
¶Q. Multilateralism in Northeast Asia is a very difficult thing. 
What do you think should be done to establish an organization like 
NATO in Northeast Asia for the resolution of the North Korean 
 
SEOUL 00000732  005 OF 005 
 
 
nuclear and other issues? 
 
"What I was trying to say is that we should try anything, if not 
through NATO, to stop the vicious cycle and achieve North Korea's 
nuclear dismantlement.  A non-aggression treaty would mean nothing 
if there is no trust.  A mere scrap of paper like that would be 
useless.  What I meant is that we should build trust and create an 
atmosphere in which a piece of paper is no longer necessary. 
 
 
 
STANTON