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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SEOUL 001512 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; September 23, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, 
Segye Ilbo, All TVs 
Three Public Workers Unions Vote to Merge into Single Group and Join 
Militant Umbrella Labor Organization 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
KAIST Keeps Top Spot in University Rankings for 2009; Korea 
University, Kyung Hee University, and Hankook University of Foreign 
Studies Move Up in Rankings 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
Prosecutors Launch Investigations into Irregularities 
at Conglomerates 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
Prime Minister Nominee: "I Have 
No Intention of Running for Presidency" 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
President Lee Myung-bak, in a Sept. 21 luncheon jointly hosted by 
the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, the Korea Society and the 
Asia Society in New York, said that the North Korean economy has to 
improve before the two Koreas can consider unification. He went on 
to say: "Unification with North Korea is important, but it's more 
important for the two Koreas to live in peace." (All) 
 
According to a report by the Missile Defense Agency affiliated with 
the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. has classified the ROK as 
one of the "nations expressing interest in missile defense," a 
situation that deserves attention with regard to the future 
establishment of a missile defense shield in Northeast Asia. 
(Dong-a, Hankook, Segye, Seoul, OhmyNews) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
According to Japan's Kyodo News Agency, North Korean leader Kim 
Jong-il told visiting Chinese Presidential Envoy Dai Bingguo on 
Sept. 18 that he would prioritize talks with the U.S. to resolve the 
North's nuclear issue. (JoongAng, Segye, Seoul) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
--------------- 
 
-N. Korea 
--------- 
Most newspapers noted Sept. 21 press remarks by State Department 
Spokesman Ian Kelly, in which he said: "There are no plans to meet 
with any officials from North Korea (at the UN General Assembly) up 
in New York.  There's been no decision on whether or not Ambassador 
Bosworth will accept the (North's) invitation to visit (the 
communist state.)" 
 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo juxtaposed these remarks with North Korea's 
continued failure to confirm a meeting between Ambassador Bosworth 
and Kang Sok-ju, the North's First Vice Foreign Minister responsible 
for Pyongyang's diplomatic affairs including the nuclear issue, if 
Ambassador Bosworth visits Pyongyang.  Chosun headlined its story: 
"U.S., North Korea Wage 'War of Nerves' Ahead of Bilateral Talks." 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo, conservative Segye Ilbo and moderate 
Seoul Shinmun replayed a Sept. 22 Kyodo News Agency report quoting 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as telling visiting Chinese 
Presidential Envoy Dai Bingguo on Sept. 18 that he would prioritize 
talks with the U.S. to resolve the North's nuclear issue. 
 
SEOUL 00001512  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
-UN Summit on Climate Change 
---------------------------- 
Most ROK media carried reports quoting President Lee Myung-bak as 
proposing at the UN Climate Summit in New York yesterday that the UN 
should create a "registry" to encourage developing countries to join 
efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and monitor their related 
programs.  According to media reports, President Lee made this 
proposal to mediate differences between developed and emerging 
economies over a future climate change strategy. 
 
Newspapers carried the following headlines: "China, India Take 
Forward-Looking Attitude on Climate Change to Pressure U.S.; Obama 
Urges Efforts from Developing Countries, but Fails to Mention 
Emissions Cut Target" (conservative Chosun Ilbo); "(Chinese 
President) Hu Jintao Pledges to Curb Carbon Dioxide Emissions" 
(right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo); and "Same Bed, Different Dreams: 
U.S., China Pay 'Lip Service' without Presenting Concrete Numbers or 
Alternatives." (moderate Hankook Ilbo) 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
OBAMA SHOULD SHOW CAPACITY, NOT CHARM 
(Chosun Ilbo, September 23, 2009, page 35: Excerpts) 
 
By Senior reporter Kang In-sun 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama appeared on five TV programs on 
September 20.  It seems that he intends to explain health care 
reforms and the Afghanistan issue directly to the public. 
 
But some are raising concerns whether President Obama is trying to 
tackle all issues only with his charm.  According to a recent Gallup 
poll, Obama still scored high in personal leadership.  66% 
respondents said that Obama is a strong and resolute leader and 64% 
said that he understands pending issues well.  However, in response 
to a question whether Obama runs the government effectively, 55% 
answered affirmatively, which is an 11% drop from this May's 66%. 
 
At present, the primary factors for determining the Obama 
Administration's success or failure concern health care reforms at 
home and the Afghanistan issue abroad.  These issues are so 
complicated that his personal charm or communication capability 
alone will not work. 
 
His predecessors, including Roosevelt, Truman, Nixon, Carter, and 
Clinton, wanted to deliver on health care reforms but failed. 
Experts believe that the concept of government-controlled health 
care system is not popular in the U.S. where the welfare system is 
considered the weakest among the developed western countries. 
 
The Afghanistan issue is more challenging.  Despite Obama's strong 
popularity in the international community, the U.S. is increasingly 
bearing the sole burden.  Even former President George W. Bush 
shared the burden with the international society even though he was 
criticized for the Iraq war.  However, President Obama is only 
receiving support from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 
in sending additional troops to Afghanistan.  A commander in 
Afghanistan has already warned that the Afghan mission will fail 
without additional military presence. 
 
It is said that a president's popularity is like vegetables which 
wither even if they are well-stored.  People may begin to feel tired 
of Obama's low-tone voice.  The international community as well as 
the U.S. may want to say to President Obama, "Show us your 
capability, not your charm." 
 
 
PRECONDITION FOR PRESIDENT LEE'S "GRAND BARGAIN" IS RESTORATION OF 
TRUST WITH N. KOREA 
(Hankook Ilbo, September 23, 2009, Page 39) 
 
 
SEOUL 00001512  003 OF 003 
 
 
President Lee Myung-bak, who is visiting the U.S., has offered a 
"grand bargain" on the North Korean nuclear issue during his speech 
at a luncheon hosted by three organizations, including the Council 
on Foreign Relations.  Under the proposal, North Korea will be asked 
to dismantle the core parts of its nuclear program in exchange for 
security assurances and international economic aid.  From a broad 
perspective, this proposal is in line with President Lee's "Vision 
3000: Denuclearization and Openness Plan," but in the sense that the 
"grand bargain" emphasizes the simultaneity of nuclear dismantlement 
and compensation, it can be said to be a development from the 
previous policy, which stressed, "Compensation should come only 
after nuclear dismantlement." 
 
Although the opposition Democratic Party criticizes the proposal, 
describing it as no progress or even retreat from "Vision 3000: 
Denuclearization and Openness Plan," that is not necessarily true. 
The Democratic Party and liberals need to remember that former 
President Kim Dae-jung also strongly advocated a grand bargain on 
the nuclear issue.  Since the step-by-step approach toward the 
nuclear issue took so long and alternated between progress, retreat, 
and delay, it has failed to prevent North Korea from bolstering its 
nuclear arsenal.  This is why former President Kim also supported 
the resolution of the nuclear issue through a grand bargain, and 
President Lee's proposal is based on the same understanding. 
 
The grand bargain, however, would be meaningless unless Pyongyang 
reacts positively.  Basically, a swap between nuclear dismantlement, 
and security assurances and economic aid has asymmetry 
disadvantageous to North Korea.  Once the North Korean nuclear 
program is dismantled, it is very difficult to restore it to its 
original state, but its corresponding rewards are always possible to 
withdraw.  Therefore, in order to realize the grand bargain, we 
should convince the North that it will not be betrayed after 
dismantling its nuclear programs. 
 
President Lee's proposal for the grand bargain can be seen as 
expressing his intention to stop sitting on the sideline and take a 
leadership role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.  The 
schedule of his visit to the U.S. is said to be part of the process 
of taking such leadership.  Still, if this is not accompanied by 
efforts to restore and deepen trust with North Korea through the 
improvement of inter-Korean relations, President Lee's initiative 
could end up being an empty rhetoric.  The answer is already out 
there; it is a virtuous cycle of improvement in inter-Korean ties 
and the resolution of the nuclear issue, which the ROKG has also 
emphasized. 
 
 
STEPHENS