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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SEOUL 001167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; July 24, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
Ruling Camp Seeks "Cabinet Reshuffle" to Overcome Political 
Stalemate Caused by Unilateral Passage of Media Reform Bills, While 
Opposition Parties Vow to Fight to Nullify the Passage 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
"Who Will Want to Enter Media Industry with Responsibility When the 
Stake is Only10 Percent?" 
 
Media Experts Skeptical over Effectiveness of Revised Media 
Measures 
 
Dong-a Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun 
Public Welfare Bills Get Lost Amid Confrontation 
between Rival Parties 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
Opposition Parties Go to Court over "Voting Fraud" 
Opposition Claims Some Ruling Party Lawmakers Cast Ballots Multiple 
Times on Behalf of Fellow Lawmakers 
When Voting Occurred on Media Reform Bills 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
National Assembly Secretariat's Claim - That It is "Customary" for 
the Assembly to Vote Again on the Same Bill 
- Turns Out to Be a Lie 
 
Segye Ilbo 
Hyundai Motor's Global Market Share Reaches 
5 Percent for First Time 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
The (ROK) Fair Trade Commission (FTC) yesterday slapped Qualcomm 
Inc., the U.S.-based mobile chipmaker, with the agency's 
highest-ever penalty of 260 billion won ($208 million) for unfair 
trade practices. Qualcomm responded that it cannot agree with the 
FTC's ruling and will take legal steps. (All) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
The 16th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Thailand ended yesterday with 
a chairman's statement that included not only the condemnation of 
North Korea's nuclear test but also statements made by North Korea, 
a development seen as likely to arouse controversy. (JoongAng, 
Dong-a, Segye, Seoul, all TVs) 
 
Ri Hung-sik, deputy head of North Korea's delegation to the ARF, 
said during a July 23 press conference that the "comprehensive 
package" proposed by the U.S. and the ROK for North Korea's 
denuclearization is "nonsense" and "just a replay of the Bush 
Administration's policy of CVID (complete, verifiable and 
irreversible dismantlement)."(All) 
 
A spokesman from the North Korean Foreign Ministry criticized 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her recent remarks that 
likened the North to "unruly teenagers," saying: "We cannot but 
regard Mrs. Clinton as a funny lady as she likes to utter such 
rhetoric, unaware of the elementary etiquette in the international 
community. Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and 
sometimes a pensioner going shopping." (Chosun, Dong-a, Hankook) 
 
On July 22, the U.S. Senate called North Korea a "threat" to its 
neighbors and urged the Obama Administration to consider relisting 
North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. (Chosun, Dong-a, 
 
SEOUL 00001167  002 OF 004 
 
 
Hankook, Segye, Seoul, all TVs) 
 
Navy Admiral Timothy Keating, the commander of U.S. forces in the 
Asia-Pacific region, said in a July 22 briefing that the U.S. is 
prepared to execute a "wide range of options" for a possible 
leadership change in North Korea in concert with allies in the 
Asia-Pacific region. (Chosun, JoongAng, Dong-a, Segye, Seoul, all 
TVs) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-ASEAN Meeting Wrap-up 
---------------------- 
Most ROK media gave attention to yesterday's conclusion to the 16th 
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Thailand. In particular, the media 
noted the adoption of a chairman's statement that included not only 
the condemnation of North Korea's nuclear test but also many of 
North Korea's own statements, including the North's justification of 
its second nuclear test.  Most media viewed this development as 
likely to arouse controversy, with the headline of right-of-center 
JoongAng Ilbo, in particular, saying: "This Year Again, ARF 
Diplomacy Out of Shape" 
 
Ri Hung-sik, deputy head of North Korea's delegation to the ARF was 
widely quoted as saying during a July 23 press conference in 
Thailand that the "comprehensive package" proposed by the U.S. and 
the ROK for North Korea's denuclearization is "nonsense" and "just a 
replay of the Bush Administration's policy of CVID (complete, 
verifiable and irreversible dismantlement)." 
 
Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun, however, noted the North Korean 
official's remark, "We do not oppose talks with the U.S.," 
interpreting this to indicate Pyongyang's willingness to entertain 
the idea of negotiations with Washington. 
 
-N. Korea 
--------- 
Most ROK media picked up the July 23 press remarks by a North Korean 
Foreign Ministry spokesman, in which the spokesman criticized 
Secretary Clinton for referring to North Korea as "unruly 
teenagers," saying: "We cannot but regard Mrs. Clinton as a funny 
lady as she likes to utter such rhetoric, unaware of the elementary 
etiquette in the international community.  Sometimes she looks like 
a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping." 
 
The ROK media carried reports that the U.S. Senate urged the Obama 
Administration on July 22 to consider relisting North Korea as a 
state sponsor of terrorism because North Korea poses a "threat" to 
its neighbors. 
 
July 22 press remarks by Navy Admiral Timothy Keating, the commander 
of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific region, also captured the 
attention of the ROK media.  He was widely quoted as saying during a 
July 22 briefing: "I can tell you that we have plans with United 
States Forces Korea and others in place if the President tells us to 
execute those plans, in the event of some uncertain succession in 
the North." 
 
U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized: "What is particularly 
noteworthy is that the Korean Peninsula issue will be discussed as 
one major topic during the Dialogue. ... Although we acknowledge the 
inevitability of discussions between the U.S. and China on the 
Korean Peninsula issue, the two nations must not determine our fate, 
with the ROK, the party concerned, excluded.  ... We should refine 
our vision for the future of the Korean Peninsula, which takes 
unification into consideration, and actively persuade the U.S. and 
China based on this (vision).  North Korea, for its part, should 
take the reality, that the Korean Peninsula issue is high on the 
U.S.-China Dialogue agenda, seriously and abandon its nuclear 
program. ... In the long term, the unification of the Korean 
Peninsula should be discussed in a 'two-plus-four format,' in which 
 
SEOUL 00001167  003 OF 004 
 
 
the two Korea's take the lead with support from the remaining four 
nations of the Six-Party Talks.  In this sense, the two Koreas 
should resume talks as early as possible." 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
 
NEXT WEEK'S U.S.-CHINA STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC DIALOGUE IS NOTEWORTHY 
BECAUSE IT WILL SEAL THE FATE OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA 
(JoongAng Ilbo, July 24, page 38) 
 
The international community is turning its attention to the first 
U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue that will take place in 
Washington early next week.  The Dialogue will be held in a 
"two-plus-two format" because it will be attended on the U.S. side 
by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy 
Geithner; and on the Chinese side by State Councilor Dai Bingguo and 
Vice Premier Wang Qishan.  This Dialogue is a high-level strategic 
meeting that will be different from the previous one held at the 
vice-ministerial level.  The Dialogue could be viewed as the 
official advent of a "G2" era in which the international order is 
dominated by two powerful countries (the U.S. and China).  According 
to the White House, both countries will address a variety of pending 
issues including short- and long-term strategy, and economic 
interests in regional and global areas. 
 
What is particularly noteworthy is that the Korean Peninsula issue 
will be discussed as one major topic during the Dialogue.  During a 
July 22 press conference, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei 
said that both countries will use the Dialogue to discuss ways to 
peacefully resolve the Korean Peninsula issue.  It seems natural 
that the North Korean nuclear issue and the Korean Peninsula issue 
will be put on the discussion table because both are major security 
and regional concerns for the U.S. and China.  The harsh reality is 
that the North Korean nuclear issue and the Korean Peninsula issue 
cannot be ultimately resolved unless both countries have common 
interests. 
 
In addressing the North Korean nuclear issue, the U.S. maintains its 
position that there have to be consequences for bad behavior.  Under 
this position, the U.S. is strengthening pressure on North Korea 
through sanctions, and at the same time holding out a carrot in the 
name of a "comprehensive package." 
 
The comprehensive package, which was first revealed during Assistant 
Secretary of State Kurt Campbell's recent visit to the ROK, was 
formalized through Secretary Clinton's speech at the ARF yesterday. 
In the speech, she said specifically that if the North Koreans will 
agree to complete and irreversible denuclearization, the U.S., as 
well as its partners, will move forward on a package of incentives, 
including normalizing relations with energy and economic assistance. 
 While giving weight to stick measures, she also provided the North 
with a way out.  Still, North Korea's representative to the ARF 
described the initiative as a "nonsense," which is a clear 
misjudgment based on their false perception of reality. 
 
Although we acknowledge the inevitability of discussions between the 
U.S. and China on the Korean Peninsula issue, the two nations must 
not determine our fate, with the ROK, the party concerned, excluded. 
  This is not the time for us to rely entirely on the ROK-U.S. 
alliance and do nothing.  We should refine our vision for the future 
of the Korean Peninsula - which takes unification into consideration 
- and actively persuade the U.S. and China based on this (vision). 
North Korea, for its part, should take the reality, that the Korean 
Peninsula issue is high on the U.S.-China Dialogue agenda, seriously 
and abandon its nuclear programs.  And as already shown in the 
process of German unification, in the long term, the unification of 
the Korean Peninsula should be discussed in a "two-plus-four 
format," in which the two Koreas take the lead with support from the 
remaining four nations of the Six-Party Talks.  In this sense, the 
two Koreas should resume talks as early as possible. 
 
 
SEOUL 00001167  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
STEPHENS