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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SEOUL 001383 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; August 28, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, All TVs 
ROKG to Build New Apartment Units in Southern Seoul, Which Will Cost 
Half the Market Price 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Council Suggests Broad Changes in Governing ROK; 
Model Would Give Powers to Prime Minister 
While Restricting President 
 
Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye Ilbo 
Third Death from New Flu Confirmed 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
320,000 New Homes to be Built 
in Metropolitan Greenbelt Areas by 2012 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
Yesterday, on the second day of the first Red Cross talks in almost 
two years, the two Koreas agreed in principle to grant 100 South 
Koreans and another 100 North Koreans a chance to reunite with their 
separated families during the Oct. 3 Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) 
holiday. (All) 
 
The two sides, however, remained at odds over including the issue of 
ROK war prisoners and abductees held in the North in their joint 
statement, which is set to be announced today. (All) 
 
Unification Minister Hyun In-taek, during yesterday's closed-door 
meeting with lawmakers, said that the ROKG will start providing 
humanitarian aid to North Korea, but did not disclose the timing of 
such aid. (Hankook, Hankyoreh, Seoul) 
 
Unification Ministry Spokesman Chun Hae-sung, meanwhile, reiterated 
the ROKG's position yesterday that the suspended tours to Mt. 
Kumgang in the North will resume only when Pyongyang guarantees the 
safety of ROK tourists. (Hankyoreh) 
 
ROK health authorities yesterday confirmed the nation's third death 
from influenza A (H1N1). The victim, a man in his 60s living in 
Seoul, died yesterday of complications from pneumonia after being 
inflected with the A (H1NI) flu. (All) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-N. Korea 
--------- 
Moderate Hankook Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun, and left-leaning Hankyoreh 
Shinmun reported that Unification Minister Hyun In-taek, during 
yesterday's closed-door meeting with lawmakers, said that Seoul will 
start providing humanitarian aid to North Korea, but did not 
disclose the timing of such aid. 
 
Hankyoreh also quoted Unification Ministry Spokesman Chun Hae-sung 
as reiterating the ROKG's position yesterday that the suspended 
tours to Mt. Kumgang in North Korea will resume only when Pyongyang 
guarantees the safety of ROK tourists. 
 
-Japan Elections 
----------------- 
Two days before Japan's August 30 general elections, conservative 
Chosun Ilbo carried an inside-page article entitled "Japan Abandons 
U.S. and (Goes) Into Asia." The article observed that Japan's main 
opposition Democratic Party is certain to take power in this 
election and that it is publicizing its "new Security Policy" 
designed to proactively develop relations with East Asian countries, 
 
SEOUL 00001383  002 OF 002 
 
 
including China and ROK, while distancing itself from the U.S.  The 
article cited influential Democratic Party officials, including 
former President Ichiro Ozawa, as stressing the need for an equal 
relationship with the U.S. 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo's headline read: "Asahi Shimbun 
Opinion Poll: 'Democratic Party Likely to Win 320 of the 480 Seats 
Being Contested.'" 
 
 
FEATURES 
-------- 
 
¶S. KOREA CALLS FOR NEW APPROACH TO POW ISSUE 
(Chosun Ilbo, August 28, 2009, page 8) 
 
By Reporter Ahn Yong-hyun 
 
The ROK Red Cross on Thursday urged North Korea to solve the issue 
of prisoners of war and other South Koreans still held in the North. 
 The call came on the second day of meetings between the Red Cross 
agencies of the two Koreas.  The ROK delegation proposed to the 
North that the joint statement should include a line about "active 
(inter-Korean) cooperation" on South Korean POWs and abductees held 
in the North.  The North Korean side declined to discuss the issue 
and insisted on talking only about the reunions of families 
separated by the Korean War, the main point on the agenda. 
 
The ROK delegation called for a "new" solution to the problem, 
replacing the past practice of putting POWs and other South Koreans 
held in the North in a special category among the separated families 
and letting only a few of them meet their relatives during reunions. 
 The ROK delegation said that this proposal does not signify a 
specific approach at this stage, but indicates the ROK's commitment 
to discuss the issue of South Korean POWs and abductees in a new and 
intensive way. 
 
Early last year, citing the example of how West Germany provided 
cash or goods to East Germany to bring its political prisoners home, 
the Unification Ministry proposed a phased approach that calls for 
verifying whether the POWs and abductees are alive, reuniting them 
with their families and repatriating them by offering material 
benefits to the North Korea. 
 
A source at the talks said that, for the time being, using the old 
method (of identifying participants to the reunions) the ROK plans 
to include 20 POWs and citizens held by the North in a list of 200 
people, 100 from each side, who are to meet lost relatives this 
Chuseok or Korean Thanksgiving, which falls on Oct. 3. 
 
The two sides were expected to reach agreement on the first round of 
reunions in working-level discussions before a full session on 
Friday morning, the last day of the talks, because there is no great 
difference of opinions. 
 
There was also progress in setting the number of South and North 
Koreans who will be able to meet their relatives at 100 from each 
side.  But the two delegations were still discussing whether the 
reunions should be held during Chuseok holidays Oct 2, 3 and 4 or, 
as the ROK delegation suggested, before and after Chuseok, on Sept. 
27-29 and Oct. 6-8.  The North proposed Oct. 3-8. 
 
(We have compared the English version on the website with the Korean 
version and made some changes to make them identical.) 
 
 
TOKOLA