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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 SEOUL 000840 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; May 27, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
¶N. Korea Restarts Yongbyon Reprocessing Plant 
 
JoongAng Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, 
Seoul Shinmun, All TVs 
Seoul Joins PSI as Full-time Member 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
Seoul "Joins PSI"... N. Korea "Responds" 
by Firing More Missiles 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Former President Roh Was Not With His Security Guard 
When He Jumped to His Death 
 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
According to Blue House Spokesman Lee Dong-kwan, President Barack 
Obama, in a May 26 telephone conversation with President Lee 
Myung-bak, said that the ROK-U.S. alliance is rock-solid. The U.S. 
president also wished to make it clear to ROK citizens that the 
U.S.'s military strength and nuclear umbrella are extended wide 
enough to protect the ROK. (All) 
 
President Lee, meanwhile, urged President Obama not to reward North 
Korea's saber-rattling, referring to Pyongyang's first nuclear test 
in 2006 through which North Korea was rewarded, including the 
resumption of dialogue with the international community. (All) 
 
The ROKG announced yesterday that it will participate fully in the 
U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which aims to 
prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The ROKG had 
delayed its full participation in PSI for fear of provoking North 
Korea. (All) 
 
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) told the National Assembly 
yesterday that North Korea may test-fire an intercontinental 
ballistic missile (ICBM). NIS based this assessment on North Korean 
warnings from April 29 that it would conduct a second nuclear test, 
test-fire an ICBM and develop nuclear weapons through uranium 
enrichment, unless the UN Security Council apologizes for 
sanctioning the North for its long-range rocket launch. (Chosun) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 
-------------------------- 
 
North Korea fired two more short-range missiles from its east coast 
yesterday, a day after it tested a nuclear device and fired three 
other missiles. The North also appears to be preparing to launch 
more short-range missiles from the west coast. (All) 
 
On May 25, the UN Security Council condemned North Korea's nuclear 
test as a "clear violation" of Resolution 1718 from 2006 and began 
work on a new resolution that could result in additional sanctions 
against the North. (All) 
 
In particular, China and Russia, both allies of North Korea, 
expressed strong displeasure at the North's nuclear test. Chinese 
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ma Zhaoxu made it clear on May 26 that 
China firmly opposes the North Korean nuclear test, and Russia 
indefinitely postponed its planned trade meeting with North Korea. 
(All) 
 
According to an ROKG source, a U.S. spy satellite has detected 
various signs that North Korea has reactivated its reprocessing 
plant at Yongbyon, which had been suspended under a nuclear 
 
SEOUL 00000840  002 OF 010 
 
 
disarmament agreement. (Chosun) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
--------------- 
 
-North Korea Nuclear and Missile Test 
------------------------------------ 
The ROK media gave front-and inside-page play to the UN Security 
Council's swift condemnation yesterday of North Korea's May 25 
nuclear test as a "clear violation" of Resolution 1718 and work on a 
new resolution that could result in additional sanctions against the 
North. 
 
Most ROK media, in particular, noted that China and Russia, both 
allies of North Korea, expressed strong displeasure at the North's 
nuclear test.  The media cited Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ma 
Zhaoxu's May 26 statement that China firmly opposes the North Korean 
nuclear test and also cited Beijing's restraint in not directly 
criticizing the ROK's decision yesterday to participate fully in the 
U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which aims to 
prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction.  The media also 
noted Russia's indefinite postponement of its planned trade meeting 
with North Korea. 
 
In a related development, conservative Chosun Ilbo wrote in an 
editorial that China will benefit from joining in sanctions against 
North Korea from a long-term perspective.  The editorial argued: 
"There is a limit to getting North Korea to give up its nuclear 
program by relying on the power of the U.S. alone. ...  This makes 
China's role all the more important, since China is the North's 
largest trade partner and food and energy provider.  Unless China 
participates proactively, any international sanctions against North 
Korea will not be successful, nor will any UNSC resolution (on North 
Korea) be meaningful. ... Deterring North Korea from triggering an 
anachronistic arms race will also serve China's security interests." 
 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo's editorial stated: "North Korea has 
gone beyond the international community's tolerance and patience. 
Its provocative actions are threatening peace and the global order. 
It is high time the international community taught the North a 
lesson. ... Much of the work of persuading the North will fall to 
China to exert its influence over its long-time communist partner." 
 
Regarding the ROKG's decision yesterday to join the U.S.-led PSI as 
a full-time member, the ROK media recalled North Korea's previous 
statement that it would consider Seoul's participation in PSI a 
"declaration of war," and predicted a further escalation of tensions 
between the two Koreas.  Some ROK media raised the possibility of a 
North Korean provocation in the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow 
Sea, which the North refuses to recognize as a sea border. 
 
Moderate Hankook Ilbo editorialized: "The prevailing analysis is 
that North Korea is citing Washington and Seoul's hostile policies 
as its excuse (for the latest provocations) but that the North is 
taking such hard-line steps to shore up its regime and achieve a 
'powerful and prosperous nation.'  This move by the North will not 
change as long as the crisis of the regime, such as leader Kim 
Jong-il's ill health, continues.  Therefore, this is not the time to 
engage in a lengthy dispute over the ROK's PSI participation, but it 
is rather time to respond resolutely to North Korea's exaggerated 
protests and threats, while keeping tensions from escalating into a 
crisis." 
 
Yesterday's telephone conversation between Presidents Barack Obama 
and Lee Myung-bak also received wide press coverage. 
 
Citing Blue House Spokesman Lee Dong-kwan, the ROK media quoted 
President Barack Obama:  "I believe the UN Security Council needs a 
strong resolution against North Korea.  (Washington) will work hard 
to get the UNSC to produce concrete measures (against North Korea.)" 
 President Obama was further quoted: "The ROK-U.S. alliance is 
rock-solid. ... The U.S.'s military strength and nuclear umbrella 
 
SEOUL 00000840  003 OF 010 
 
 
are extended wide enough to protect the ROK." 
 
President Lee was also reported as urging President Obama not to 
reward North Korea's saber-rattling, referring to Pyongyang's first 
nuclear test in 2006 through which North Korea was rewarded, 
including the resumption of dialogue with the international 
community. 
 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo, citing an ROKG source, front-paged a 
report that a U.S. spy satellite has detected various signs that 
North Korea has reactivated its reprocessing plant at Yongbyon, 
which had been suspended under a nuclear disarmament agreement.  The 
report noted that (the reactivation) is faster than expected, given 
that experts have estimated that it would take two to four months 
for the North to resume operations at the plant. 
 
Chosun also reported on the National Intelligence Service (NIS)'s 
testimony to the National Assembly yesterday that North Korea may 
test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).  NIS based 
this assessment on North Korean warnings from April 29 that it would 
conduct a second nuclear test, test-fire an ICBM and develop nuclear 
weapons through uranium enrichment, unless the UN Security Council 
apologizes for sanctioning the North for its long-range rocket 
launch, according to the Chosun report. 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
"DON'T BLAME ANYONE" 
(JoongAng Daily, Page 10, May 27, 2009) 
 
The queue of mourners at the altar in front of Deoksu Palace in 
central Seoul on Monday afternoon seemed endless despite the 
sizzling heat.  Although the number of visitors was much smaller 
than in the evening, people had to wait on average around half an 
hour for their turn to offer flowers before the portrait of the late 
President Roh Moo-hyun. 
 
The altar at Deoksu is one of 150 set up by civic and religious 
groups.  The government has set up 31 official memorials nationwide. 
 
 
Although citizens may differ in their assessment of the late 
president, the feeling of bereavement is felt by all.  People feel 
united in paying their last respects to a former national leader who 
many feel once represented all of us.  Many sympathize with a man 
who chose to take his own life because of the agony he suffered at 
the end of his life. 
 
At least during the official mourning period until the funeral on 
Friday, the entire country will have to share the feelings of 
sympathy, and that will be the right thing to do. 
 
However, sorrow sometimes hampers rational judgment. Village 
residents and other mourners prevented National Assembly Speaker Kim 
Hyung-o from visiting (former President) Roh's mourning altar at 
Bongha Village on Sunday.  He barely managed to succeed at dawn the 
next day. 
 
Some people there threw water and foul language at him as he turned 
to head back to Seoul. 
 
"We will let you in only if you bring (former President)Roh back to 
life," some shouted. 
 
Moon Jae-in, Roh's close confidant, tried to persuade the crowds 
(not to block the visitors) but Park Geun-hye of the Grand National 
Party and Lee Hoi-chang of the Liberal Forward Party also failed to 
reach the altar and pay their respects. 
 
President Lee Myung-bak had also expressed his wish to visit Bongha 
in person but he was dissuaded from doing so because of security 
risks. 
 
SEOUL 00000840  004 OF 010 
 
 
 
These politicians may not enjoy the same views or occupy the same 
political ground but their intention to honor the dead was the right 
thing to do.  (Former President) Roh wouldn't have wanted visitors 
to be blocked.  As he said in his last message, "Don't blame 
anyone." 
 
What is of greater concern is the action of groups wanting to make 
political capital out of the grief people feel for the former 
President.  Next to the altar at Deoksu Palace, pro-Roh groups are 
collecting signatures in support of impeaching President Lee. 
 
The people's funeral scheduled for Friday at Gwanghwamun should not 
become an assembly point for protest groups.  Instead, the political 
circle should be trying to embrace the mood of the nation in this 
mourning period, and uniting for the future. 
 
 
"POST-PSI PARTICIPATION" SITUATION IS MORE IMPORTANT 
(Hankook Ilbo, May 27, Page 35) 
 
In the wake of North Korea's second nuclear test, the ROKG announced 
its full participation in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security 
Initiative (PSI) aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass 
destruction.  This has been expected although the ROKG had delayed 
announcing officially that it will join the PSI as a full-time 
member, in consideration of inter-Korean relations.  Accordingly, 
North Korea, which had considered the ROK's PSI full participation 
as a 'declaration of war', will very likely voice fierce opposition, 
ratcheting up tensions.  Moreover, this will fuel controversy over 
the ROK's North Korea policy.  However, we need to correctly 
understand the current situation in which North Korea's 
nuclearization is an established fact, and should devise our 
strategy against North Korea's nuclear programs within a bigger 
framework. 
 
The significance of the ROKG's full participation in PSI is evident, 
considering remarks by U.S. President Obama, who said emphatically 
that the ROK's full participation in PSI is very important, while 
vowing to take strong and united steps against North Korea's nuclear 
test.  President Obama considers the former Bush Administration's 
North Korea policy as a failure but seeks to institutionalize the 
PSI which lacks a basis under international law. 
 
The Bush Administration pushed for the hard-line policy that the 
U.S. would eliminate the threat of weapons of mass destruction from 
rogue states, but failed to block North Korea's nuclear development. 
 Accordingly, the Obama Administration is focused on preventing 
North Korea from spreading its nuclear weapons to a third country 
rather than vaguely seeking to scrap its nuclear program.  Unlike in 
the past when the U.S. exaggerated North Korea's nuclear ambitions 
as a direct threat to the country, (now) it is pursuing a realistic 
policy aimed at curbing nuclear proliferation which threatens world 
peace. 
 
Therefore, observers have noted objectively that the Obama 
Administration appears to accept North Korea's nuclearization as an 
established fact and is pursuing a long term goal of (having North 
Korea) dismantle its nuclear programs.  They indicate that, although 
the Obama Administration does not recognize the status of North 
Korea as a nuclear state, it is no longer obsessed with hypocritical 
negotiations, where the U.S. engages in a tug of war with the North 
over rewards for Pyongyang's nuclear dismantlement.  President 
Obama's statement that the U.S.'s nuclear umbrella is strong enough 
to protect the ROK appears premised on North Korea's "nuclear 
possession." 
 
The USG and the ROKG are responding this way because North Korea is 
seeking to become a "nuclear state," regardless of any existing 
negotiation frameworks such as the Six-Party Talks.  The prevailing 
analysis is that North Korea is citing Washington and Seoul's 
hostile policies as its excuse (for the latest provocations) but 
that the North is taking such hard-line steps in order to shore up 
its regime and achieve a 'powerful and prosperous nation.'  This 
 
SEOUL 00000840  005 OF 010 
 
 
move by the North will not change as long as the crisis of the 
regime, such as leader Kim Jong-il's ill health, continues. 
 
Therefore, this is not the time to engage in a lengthy dispute over 
the ROK's PSI participation, but instead it is time to respond 
resolutely to North Korea's exaggerated protests and threats, while 
keeping tensions from escalating into a crisis.  Besides this, we 
should let (the North Koreans) know that we understand their 
desperate situation and are willing to help them survive, and 
persuade them (to abandon their nuclear ambitions). 
 
 
STANDING UP TO PROVOCATION 
(JoongAng Ilbo, May 27, 2009, Page 42) 
 
The international community has speedily embarked on coordinated, 
punitive steps against North Korea after it flouted international 
warnings and conducted another nuclear test.  The United Nations 
Security Council, in a meeting held shortly after the surprise 
nuclear test on Monday, condemned the action, characterizing it as 
clear defiance of an earlier warning, and vowed to map out a new 
resolution imposing stronger sanctions on the recalcitrant communist 
regime.  Soon after he heard the news, President Barack Obama 
declared that the United States and its allies would "stand up" to 
North Korea and he held a press conference at the White House early 
Monday morning, local time. 
 
The latest North Korean provocation has drawn a harsh rebuke even 
from countries relatively sympathetic towards the Pyongyang regime. 
On Monday, China said it was "resolutely opposed" to the nuclear 
test.  Russia and Vietnam also joined the chorus of criticism.  The 
South Korean government announced Tuesday that it will become a full 
participant in the Proliferation Security Initiative.  Seoul has 
been wavering in its decision to join the U.S.-led campaign to stop 
global trafficking in weapons of mass destruction for fear of 
provoking the North, which continues to detain a South Korean worker 
and is threatening to overthrow the inter-Korean business 
partnership in the Kaesong Industrial Complex - but the nuclear test 
has forced Seoul's hand. 
 
North Korea has gone beyond the international community's tolerance 
and patience.  Its provocative actions are threatening peace and the 
global order.  It is high time the international community taught 
the North a lesson. 
 
In a telephone call with President Obama, President Lee Myung-bak 
emphasized that the U.S. and its allies should not give in to the 
North's brinkmanship and repeat the pattern of rewarding belligerent 
Pyongyang with dialogue and economic aid, as has been done in the 
past.  President Obama agreed to work for stronger international 
pressure through a UN Security Council resolution. 
 
We welcome the two leaders' coordinated and resolute response, and 
we urge the government to put forth its best diplomatic efforts in 
organizing international cooperation to send a consistent and 
resolute message to North Korea.  Much of the work of persuading the 
North will fall to China to exert its influence over its long-time 
communist partner. 
 
Still, we expect the North to heighten its bellicosity, employing 
all possible means to push back against the international consensus 
against it.  President Obama assured his South Korean counterpart 
that the U.S. military and its nuclear power would provide 
protection against any potential provocations from the North.  We 
need to reconfirm our security capabilities through next month's 
South Korea-U.S. summit and other diplomatic channels with our 
allies.  Our military forces should be on full alert to act promptly 
against any provocation from North Korea. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
NEW STRATEGIES TO COUNTER NK NEEDED 
 
SEOUL 00000840  006 OF 010 
 
 
(Dong-a Ilbo, May 27, 2009, Page 31) 
 
North Korea's second nuclear test Monday has forced South Korea to 
seriously consider the establishment of a new security framework for 
survival.  Until now, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula 
has been pursued through negotiations centered on the Six-Party 
Talks.  Such peaceful means, however, have produced no results and 
have only bought time for the North to develop nuclear weapons.  The 
dialogue has clearly shown its limitations.  Many are urging the 
U.N. Security Council to devise strong and effective measures to 
punish the communist country, while certain experts want Seoul to 
consider securing its own nuclear deterrent, as well as strengthen 
its military alliance with Washington. 
 
The way South Korea responds to the North's military provocations 
should also be changed.  Along with the nuclear test, Pyongyang 
fired three short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan Monday and 
two more Tuesday.  Preparation for another missile launch in the 
Yellow Sea was also detected.  If the North breaches the Northern 
Limit Line, the de facto border in the Yellow Sea, South Korea must 
show a renewed determination to sternly deal with the provocation by 
harshly punishing the North.  In this regard, the Lee Myung-bak 
Administration's announcement to join the U.S.-led Proliferation 
Security Initiative, a campaign against the proliferation of weapons 
of mass destruction, is a welcome change in Seoul's way of dealing 
with Pyongyang. 
 
Three proposals have appeared for the South to counter the North's 
nuclear weapons: inducing Pyongyang to renounce its nuclear 
development program via negotiations or compulsory means; Seoul 
possessing its own nuclear weapons for self-defense; and reliance on 
the U.S. nuclear umbrella.  The North's latest nuclear test clearly 
demonstrates that Pyongyang will not renounce its nuclear ambition 
unless its nuclear facilities are attacked and destroyed.  The 
argument for South Korea going nuclear is based on the premise that 
a nuclear attack can be deterred only by nuclear weapons.  This is 
out of the question, however, given international relations and 
agreements that South Korea has signed. 
 
Therefore, protection under the U.S. nuclear umbrella is the best 
practical countermeasure.  To get such protection, a robust South 
Korea-U.S. alliance is a prerequisite.  Since the Roh Moo-hyun 
Administration, however, doubt has lingered among both the South 
Korean government and its people over whether the United States will 
readily come to the rescue.  In particular, it is uncertain whether 
Washington will keep its commitment to protect (South Korea) after 
it transfers wartime operational command to Seoul and the Combined 
Forces Command is dissolved on April 17, 2012. 
 
In this context, the argument for reconsidering the transfer's 
timing and the command's dissolution sounds convincing.  Seoul must 
bring this up and put efforts into negotiations with Washington.  In 
addition, the U.S. nuclear umbrella will be a deterrent only when 
the North realizes that the United States will not sit idly by if 
the North launches a nuclear attack on the South. 
 
Experts say the Defense Reform 2020 plan drawn up under the Roh 
Administration is designed to deal with a North Korea armed with 
conventional weapons, not a nuclear arsenal.  They suggest 
procurement of high-tech weaponry, improvement of precision attack 
capability, development of new weapons, and drastic enhancement of 
operational systems.  Others say defense-oriented strategies should 
also be adjusted to incorporate aggressive and active features. 
 
The Missile Technology Control Regime, the only multilateral missile 
nonproliferation arrangement, which bans missiles with a range 
exceeding 300 kilometers, prevents South Korea from properly 
reacting to North Korea's missile threat, experts say.  So this 
limitation should be dealt with through negotiations with the United 
States.  In addition, South Korea is restricted in the use of 
nuclear power despite being the world's sixth-largest producer of 
nuclear energy.  Since the conclusion of the 1991 inter-Korean 
declaration on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the 
South has given up uranium enrichment programs.  The North, however, 
 
SEOUL 00000840  007 OF 010 
 
 
has breached the agreement and extracted weapons-grade plutonium by 
reprocessing nuclear fuel.  Seoul, which has abided by the 
agreement, has yet to realize its nuclear power potential. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
CHINA CAN ONLY GAIN FROM BEING TOUGH ON N. KOREA 
(Chosun Ilbo, May 27, 2009, Page 27) 
 
After North Korea conducted its second nuclear test on Monday, the 
UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting that condemned the 
test and began searching for a new resolution.  Russia, which chairs 
the council, as well as the other permanent members of the council, 
including the U.S. and China, are strongly criticizing the North. 
The atmosphere is quite different from (the atmosphere) in April, 
when North Korea fired a long-range rocket:  at that time, the 
Security Council failed to arrive at a resolution and issued only a 
chairman's statement. 
 
In a phone call with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on 
Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama said a strong resolution from 
the Security Council was necessary. 
 
China said it "strongly opposes" North Korea's nuclear test.  But it 
also stressed the need to "maintain peace and stability in Northeast 
Asia," hinting at its desire to set certain limits to the level of 
pressure the council puts on the North. 
 
UN Security Council Resolution 1718, adopted after North Korea's 
first nuclear test in October of 2006 and focused on economic 
sanctions, has been ineffective.  It was nonbinding, and UN member 
countries did not participate in its implementation.  China in 
particular claimed that the sanctions could corner North Korea and 
have negative repercussions and continued to offer its ally economic 
aid. 
 
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told Fox TV on May 19 
that if China, Japan, Russia and the U.S. do not exert enough 
pressure on North Korea and fail to convince it to give up its 
nuclear weapons program, there would be no point in supporting an 
international framework.  Kissinger advised President Obama on his 
vision of a world free of nuclear weapons along with former 
Secretary of State George Shultz, former Senate Armed Services 
Committee chairman Sam Nunn, and former Defense Secretary William 
Perry.  Kissinger said the task facing the international community 
is to remove North Korea's nuclear weapons and to come up with 
penalties and rewards, as well as a balance of diplomacy and 
pressure to make that happen. 
 
There is a limit to getting North Korea to give up its nuclear 
program by relying on the power of the U.S.  alone.  If the military 
option is taken off the table, then the options in terms of 
punishment and pressure are limited.  This makes China's role all 
the more important, since China is the North's largest trading 
partner and food and energy provider.  Unless China participates 
proactively, any international sanctions against North Korea will 
not be successful, nor will any UNSC resolution (on North Korea) be 
meaningful. 
 
China needs to take a firm stance not only because of its status as 
a permanent member of the UN Security Council, with major 
responsibilities in maintaining global security, but because 
allowing North Korea to develop nuclear weapons and missiles could 
be detrimental to its own diplomatic interests.  Beijing will not be 
able to ignore the fact that Japan, which has been wary of China's 
growing military might, has used North Korea's provocation as an 
excuse to bolster its own military power.  Deterring North Korea 
from triggering an anachronistic arms race will also serve China's 
security interests. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
SEOUL 00000840  008 OF 010 
 
 
 
 
PSI MEMBERSHIP REQUIRES STRATEGIC THINKING 
(Chosun Ilbo, May 27, 2009, Page 27) 
 
The government on Tuesday declared that Korea is joining the 
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).  The government had 
originally intended to join the PSI shortly after North Korea's 
launch of a long-range rocket on April 5.  But the announcement was 
postponed due to concerns by officials within the government over 
agitating the North.  Before the announcement, President Lee 
Myung-bak explained his government's policies in a phone call to 
U.S. President Barack Obama, who said that Seoul's participation was 
extremely important and he believed Lee had demonstrated 
international leadership in making the decision. 
 
North Korea has said it would consider South Korea's membership in 
the PSI to be a "declaration of war."  The PSI is a global 
initiative launched in May 2003 at the suggestion of 11 countries, 
including the U.S., Japan and Russia, to prevent the illicit dealing 
or spread of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons and 
missiles.  At present, 94 countries are taking part in the PSI.  If 
South Korea joins (the PSI), its patrol ships can force North Korean 
vessels in the South's territorial waters to stop, or search its 
confines. 
 
Opponents claim that such incidents could lead to armed clashes. 
The South Korean government's position is that a maritime pact 
signed with North Korea in 2004 already contains the same provisions 
so that joining the PSI will not lead to more dangerous situations 
and would have the effect of suppressing the North's illicit trade 
in weapons. 
 
There is a strong chance that North Korea will resort to more 
provocations.  Armed clashes could occur along the Northern Limit 
Line in the Yellow Sea, while the future of the Kaesong Industrial 
Complex could also be jeopardized.  The government must be fully 
prepared to deal with any provocations by North Korea.  It had said 
its joining the PSI was unrelated to its policies toward North 
Korea, but it joined at a time when UN sanctions are being pursued 
in response to North Korea's nuclear test.  In other words, it has 
tacitly admitted that the aim (of joining the PSI) is to impose 
restrictions on North Korea. 
 
The government changed its mind several times, with the Foreign 
Ministry supporting it and the Unification Ministry opposing it.  We 
need to find out how such confusion and conflict could have arisen 
involving a diplomatic and national security issue as important as 
this one, find those responsible for the problems and make sure that 
these mistakes are not repeated. 
 
Most importantly, the government must thoroughly review its North 
Korea policy following the North's nuclear test and PSI membership. 
At a time when the entire international community is moving toward 
sanctioning North Korea, inter-Korean relations will also reflect 
this trend.  But the U.S. and Chinese governments can always opt to 
open dialogue with North Korea.  This has happened repeatedly in the 
past.  The government must be precise in its response to the present 
situation, but if its view is limited to the present situation, we 
could lose sight of the big picture and end up isolated. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PSI AND WORSENING INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, May 27, 2009, Page 27) 
 
South Korea announced its full-scale participation in the U.S.-led 
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) on Tuesday.  The punitive 
response for North Korea's second nuclear test on Monday is 
inappropriate. 
 
Of course, it is appropriate to hold North Korea accountable for 
 
SEOUL 00000840  009 OF 010 
 
 
conducting a second nuclear test following its long-range rocket 
launch.  A United Nations Security Council meeting was immediately 
convened to begin discussions on sanctions for North Korea's bad 
behavior.  However, the most critical thing to do now is to find a 
solution.  North Korea's second nuclear test indicates that it is 
moving closer to becoming a fully-fledged nuclear-armed state. 
North Korea's rise as a nuclear state creates a tense situation and 
could threaten regional security and peace. 
 
Historically, North Korea's nuclear capabilities have grown stronger 
during times of pressure and sanctions, and weaker during times of 
dialogue and negotiations.  The 1994 Geneva Agreement, the 2005 Sept 
19 Joint Declaration and the 2007 Feb 13 Agreement represented 
agreements  exchanging North Korean nuclear restraint for relief and 
were all products of dialogue.  On the other hand, North Korea 
responded to the rise in tensions with the U.S. over the Banco Delta 
Asia issue with a long-range missile launch in July 2006, and its 
first nuclear test in October 2006.  Even if one gets angry at North 
Korea's provocations, dialogue remains the most realistic option. 
 
Lee Myung-bak's Administration has condemned North Korea's first 
nuclear test, attributing it to inter-Korean economic cooperation 
relations during Roh's period, and has worked to differentiate 
itself from Roh Moo-hyun Administration's appeasement of North Korea 
by maintaining a policy of pressure on North Korea since its 
inauguration.  North Korea's second nuclear test shows us once again 
that pressure, rather than resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, 
has just worsened the situation.  During the Roh Administration, 
when inter-Korean relations were better, the South Korean government 
at least had some room to negotiate a solution to the nuclear issue. 
 In contrast, the Lee Administration has completely lost any 
inter-Korean contact, and is in the worst position for negotiating 
the nuclear issue.  North Korea informed both the U.S. and China of 
the second nuclear test just before it occurred, but the South 
Korean government had no idea.  This is a good example of how an 
issue involving the Korean Peninsula is being resolved without (the 
involvement of) the South Korean government. 
 
In response to this situation, the government has decided to fully 
participate in PSI, something North Korea says it would consider a 
"declaration of war."  Given North Korea's past behavior, which 
regularly puts its words into action, it is clear that the 
possibility of an armed clash between the Koreas has grown.  Even if 
this does not prove to be the case, the fate of the already-troubled 
Kaesong Industrial Complex will become even murkier and the release 
of the Hyundai Asan employee who is being detained by North Korea 
will become more difficult. 
 
From the beginning, full-scale participation in PSI was not 
something to be discussed as a means to pressure North Korea.  This 
is because it has nothing to do with a solution to the nuclear issue 
and will only worsen inter-Korean relations, although it might let 
the far right and conservatives who want to vent their wrath at 
North Korea feel better.  In fact, full-scale participation in PSI 
will further narrow the South Korean government's ability to speak 
on the North Korea nuclear issue.  This will be even more so if the 
Obama Administration steps up to engage in bilateral dialogue with 
North Korea.  The Lee Administration has made another bad move. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
FEATURES 
-------- 
 
¶N. KOREA RESTARTS REPROCESSING PLANT 
(Chosun Ilbo, May 27, 2009, Front Page) 
 
By Military Affairs Reporter Yu Yong-won 
 
North Korea has apparently restarted a fuel reprocessing facility at 
Yongbyon.  Steam has recently been seen coming from the facility. 
This is noteworthy because the move came earlier than expected. 
Experts had earlier speculated that it would take two to four months 
 
SEOUL 00000840  010 OF 010 
 
 
for the North to resume operations at the plant. 
 
An ROKG source said on May 26, "A surveillance satellite has 
detected various signs, including steam, that North Korea has 
reactivated its reprocessing plant at Yongbyon, which had been 
suspended under a nuclear disarmament deal." 
 
Fuel reprocessing extracts plutonium, the raw material for nuclear 
weapons, from spent fuel rods.  The fact that the North has started 
the reprocessing work indicates that it has crossed the "red line," 
thereby upsetting the nuclear negotiations that have been held so 
far.  North Korea has some 8,000 spent fuel rods at the Yongbyon 
nuclear facility.  If it reprocesses them, it could obtain an 
additional 6 to 8 kg of plutonium, enough to make one nuclear 
weapon. 
 
However, it has not been confirmed yet whether ROK and U.S. devices 
detected krypton gas, which is released when spent fuel rods are 
reprocessed.  The U.S. frequently deploys its surveillance plane 
WC-135 to the Sea of Japan to detect krypton in the air, and the 
ROKG can detect the gas with its krypton detector installed near the 
DMZ. 
 
Meanwhile, North Korea launched another two short-range missiles on 
Tuesday afternoon.  A South Korean military source said intelligence 
agencies found that the North launched two short-range missiles into 
the Sea of Japan from an area near Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province 
on Tuesday afternoon. 
 
The missiles were a ground-to-air missile and a ground-to-ship 
missile.  The North fired three missiles on Monday afternoon - an 
SA-5 missile with a maximum range of 250 km from Musudanri, North 
Hamgyong Province and two KN-01 ground-to-ship missiles with a range 
of 160km from Wonsan, Gangwon Province. 
 
It is also apparently getting ready to launch more KN-01 
ground-to-ship missiles on the west coast as well, having declared 
an area in the Yellow Sea off Jungsan-gun in South Pyongan Province 
off limits to ships from Monday until Wednesday. 
 
* We have compared the English version on the website with the 
Korean version and added some paragraphs to make them identical. 
 
 
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