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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 SEOUL 001528 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; September 24, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions 
on Collision Course with ROKG 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Second Largest Number of Judges and Lawyers Found to Have Graduated 
from Daewon Foreign Language High School 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
ROKG Vows to Deal Sternly with Any Political Activities by Civil 
Service Unions 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
Prosecution, Police, National Tax Service Launch Simultaneous 
Investigation of SK Engineering & Construction 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
U.S. Judges that ROK Is Wary of U.S.-North Korea Dialogue 
 
Segye Ilbo 
Won Smashes 1,200 Line in 11 Months 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
Chinese President Hu Jintao: "There is a Possibility that North 
Korea May Return to Six-Party Talks" 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
---------------------- 
 
During a 40-minute ROK-China summit in New York, President Lee 
explained the "grand bargain" on the North Korean nuclear issue to 
his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, and the Chinese President said, 
"If each country makes the effort, it is still possible that North 
Korea may return to the Six-Party Talks." (All) The two nations are 
close to an agreement on the "grand bargain." (Chosun) 
 
In a related story, the ROK and the U.S. seem to be out of step over 
the "grand bargain." (JoongAng, Chosun, Hankook, Seoul, Segye) While 
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 
Kurt Campbell said, "Actually, I - to be perfectly honest, I was not 
aware of that (the proposal)," an ROKG official said, "Before 
President Lee's visit to the U.S., we notified the State 
Department's office in charge of the North Korean nuclear issue 
about the "grand bargain," but since it was shortly after U.S. 
Assistant Secretary Campbell returned from his visit to Japan, he 
may not have been aware of the proposal." (JoongAng) The U.S. is 
cool to President Lee's grand bargain, with State Department 
Spokesman Ian Kelly saying during a daily press briefing, "This is 
his policy. These were his remarks." (Hankyoreh) 
 
Meanwhile, Spokesman Kelly also said, "We share a common position 
with South Korea regarding the issue of the denuclearization of the 
Korean Peninsula.... We've been very clear that if North Korea takes 
irreversible steps leading to complete denuclearization... that we 
and our partners would be prepared to reciprocate in a comprehensive 
and coordinated manner." (Seoul) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a report released 
on September 9 that, if the Obama Administration offers North Korea 
bilateral negotiations with the U.S. outside the Six-Party 
framework, this would mean the end of the Six-Party Talks as an 
actual forum for negotiations, although it might continue as a 
nominal institution to ratify any final U.S.-North Korean 
denuclearization agreement.  The report also said that, if 
U.S.-North Korea bilateral or multilateral dialogue is realized, 
 
SEOUL 00001528  002 OF 006 
 
 
North Korea may demand that normalization of (the U.S.-North Korea) 
relations must come before denuclearization. (Chosun, Hankyoreh, 
Segye) 
 
U.S. President Obama said in his first speech to the UN General 
Assembly, "If the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to 
ignore international standards; if they...are oblivious to the 
dangers of escalating nuclear arms races in both East Asia and the 
Middle East, then they must be held accountable." (Dong-a) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
------------- 
 
-N. Korea 
--------- 
All ROK media reported on the ROK-China summit in New York on 
September 23.  During the meeting, President Lee explained the 
"grand bargain" he was proposing to offer to North Korea (for the 
complete dismantling of its nuclear program) to his Chinese 
counterpart Hu Jintao, and the Chinese President said, "If each 
country makes the effort, it is still possible that North Korea may 
return to the Six-Party Talks."  Conservative Chosun Ilbo reported 
on its front page that the ROK and China are close to an agreement 
on the "grand bargain."  Meanwhile, conservative Dong-a Ilbo 
reported that President Lee Myung-bak sought cooperation on the 
"grand bargain" from China and Japan during his separate summits 
with the two nations. 
 
Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun reported on its front-page top story 
that the U.S. is cool to President Lee's "grand bargain," with State 
Department Spokesman Ian Kelly saying during a September 22 daily 
press briefing, "This is his (President Lee) policy. These were his 
remarks." 
 
On this matter, Chosun Ilbo editorialized: "The reason why the U.S. 
is cool to President Lee's proposal is that, with the U.S. stressing 
both sanctions and dialogue toward the North, Washington is not 
pleased that President Lee's "grand bargain" seems to have pulled 
sanctions against the North off the table." 
 
In JoongAng Ilbo, writer Bok Geo-il opined: "We should declare that 
if North Korea is recognized as a nuclear state, we have no choice 
but to develop nuclear weapons.  This is the only way to prevent 
North Korea from being recognized as a nuclear state with the 
condition that it will not proliferate its nuclear weapons." 
 
Dong-a Ilbo and moderate Hankook Ilbo reported on U.S. President 
Obama's speech at the UN General Assembly, where he said, "If the 
governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international 
standards..., then they must be held accountable," adding, "The 
governments of North Korea and Iran threaten to take us down this 
dangerous slope." 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun reported that, during a September 23 interview 
with The Washington Post, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama 
agreed to Washington having bilateral dialogue with the North and 
sending a special envoy to the communist state. 
 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo carried a story about a report released on 
September 9 by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).  In the 
report, the CRS said that, if the Obama Administration offers North 
Korea bilateral negotiations with the U.S. outside the Six-Party 
framework, it would mean the end of the Six-Party Talks as an actual 
forum for negotiations, although it might continue as a nominal 
institution to ratify any final U.S.-North Korean denuclearization 
agreement.  Hankyoreh Shinmun quoted that Dr. Larry Niksch, who 
wrote the CRS report, as recently saying on Voice of America that, 
if North Korea demands the lifting of financial sanctions, the U.S. 
should make a "symbolic" concession because the lifting of the 
sanctions is a very substantial concession, which, therefore, should 
not be rescinded until the ultimate goal is achieved. 
 
-UN Summit on Climate Change 
 
SEOUL 00001528  003 OF 006 
 
 
---------------------------- 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo reported that since major countries did not 
come up with concrete action plans to reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions, the UN summit on Climate Change failed to produce 
tangible results.  Hankyoreh Shinmun carried the headline, "U.S., 
China Supports 'Green' Growth without Concrete Numbers; 'Rough Road' 
Ahead to Copenhagen." 
 
JoongAng Ilbo editorialized: "China pledged to curb its carbon 
dioxide emissions by a notable margin by 2020...  The U.S. should 
take a forward-looking attitude like China by having the 
cap-and-trade bill passed without delay in the Senate.  This will 
pave the way for a new pact to be struck in Copenhagen to replace 
the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012." 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "Above all, the key is Washington's 
active attitude.  President Obama should exercise leadership to 
persuade Congress to join this noble global cause." 
 
-G20 Summit 
----------- 
With the G20 summit set to start today, moderate Hankook Ilbo 
carried the headline, "Exit Strategies  Top Agenda; U.S., Epicenter 
of Financial Crisis, Will Have Less Say."  In the same story, the 
daily also said that the U.S. and China are expected to engage in 
heated debate over trade imbalance, and that, although world leaders 
shared the need to prevent global warming, the chances for an 
agreement on a new climate change pact are slim. 
 
President Obama's Speech at UN General Assembly 
Under the headline, "Obama: 'U.S. Cannot Work Alone... Please Help," 
JoongAng Ilbo reported that U.S. President Obama, in his speech at 
the UN General Assembly, urged the international community to help 
the U.S. resolve global issues, but despite his meeting with Chinese 
President Hu Jintao, he failed to resolve the tire trade dispute. 
In similar stories, newspapers carried the following headlines: 
"U.S. Officially Abandons Unilateralism" (conservative Dong-a Ilbo); 
"Diplomacy of Power Undermines U.S. Position; U.S. Declares 'New 
Leadership'" (conservative Dong-a Ilbo); and "Obama Urges World Not 
to Make Demands Only to U.S." (conservative Chosun Ilbo); 
 
-Afghanistan 
------------ 
Dong-a Ilbo replayed The New York Times' September 23 story which 
indicated that, due to a drop in public support in the U.S. for the 
war in Aghanistan, Obama is reconsidering the U.S. strategy that he 
announced six months ago.  Covering the same topic, Hankyoreh 
Shinmun carried the headline, "Conflicts between Obama and U.S. 
Military over Afghan War Mounting." 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD OF NUCLEAR UMBRELLA 
(JoongAng Ilbo, September 24, 2009, page 47: Excerpts) 
 
By Novelist Bok Geo-il 
 
If North Korea carries out a nuclear attack, will the U.S. extend 
its nuclear umbrella (to the ROK) at a right time?  We are not sure 
whether the U.S. president will mount a nuclear attack against North 
Korea without any hesitation.  If North Korea executes a terror 
attack with small nuclear weapons, the U.S. may be in a position to 
wage a nuclear war even though it does not pose a direct threat to 
its own security.  At this time, if the North offers compensation 
(for its action) while making some plausible excuses, the U.S. 
president will be likely to make a "rational decision" by dismissing 
North Korea's nuclear attack as bygones. 
 
No one is certain that North Korea will not capitalize on this 
loophole (in the nuclear umbrella) to its advantage.  The North has 
committed horrible terror attacks such as a bombing in Rangoon and a 
bomb explosion aboard Korean Airlines Flight.  Pyongyang will 
 
SEOUL 00001528  004 OF 006 
 
 
continue to threaten us by taking advantage of the loophole in the 
nuclear umbrella. 
 
We will not tolerate a nuclear North Korea.   Unfortunately, it 
seems that the North's possession of nuclear weapons is being 
increasingly justified (in the international community.)  The period 
of nuclear possession matters significantly.  This is why nuclear 
states including the U.S. seem to claim "grandfather rights" because 
they have possessed nuclear weapons for a long time.   Against this 
backdrop, some people in China suggest that the international 
community should recognize North Korea's nuclear program on the 
condition that it will not engage in proliferation of its nuclear 
weapons. 
 
Therefore we should make a "doomsday machine" which responds 
automatically if North Korea is recognized as a nuclear state.  This 
means that we should develop nuclear weapons.  We should point out 
that the U.S. nuclear umbrella has such a dangerous loophole that we 
cannot rely on it and that North Korea is too vicious.  We should 
declare that if North Korea is recognized as a nuclear state, we 
have no choice but to develop nuclear weapons.  This is the only way 
to prevent North Korea from being recognized as a nuclear state with 
the condition that it will not proliferate its nuclear weapons. 
 
 
WHY ARE SEOUL AND WASHINGTON OUT OF SYNC? 
(Chosun Ilbo, September 24, 2009, page 39) 
 
The unthinkable happened between ROK and U.S. diplomats after 
President Lee Myung-bak proposed offering North Korea a "grand 
bargain" of security guarantees and economic aid in exchange for 
scrapping its nuclear weapons program.  Lee made the suggestion 
during a speech on Monday at the Korea Society in New York. 
 
When asked by reporters about Lee's proposal, Assistant U.S. 
Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Kurt Campbell said, 
"Actually, I -- to be perfectly honest, I was not aware of that." 
Campbell added, "Nothing of the sort came up in our session with the 
ROK counterparts" before Lee's speech.  U.S. State Department 
spokesman Ian Kelly said, "I think it's really not for me to comment 
on the particulars, because it's -- this is his policy. These were 
his remarks."  The New York Times reported that the U.S. government 
feels Lee's proposal had "surprised" American officials and that 
Washington felt it was "far-fetched." 
 
But it was the U.S. government itself that first proposed a 
"comprehensive package" of political and military guarantees and 
economic assistance.  Feeling that it is impossible to resolve the 
nuclear impasse by offering piecemeal rewards to the North at each 
stage of denuclearization, the U.S. had brought up a comprehensive 
approach envisioning various forms of support to North Korea if it 
scraps its nuclear weapons program.  The "grand bargain" proposed by 
Lee is essentially the same. 
 
That was precisely the plan Campbell, who said he never heard of it, 
had brought with him during his visit to the ROK in July.  "There 
was a consensus on the fact that the North Korean nuclear 
negotiations should be approached comprehensively, rather than in 
different stages," an ROK official said."  But it is possible that 
U.S. officials had heard the term 'grand bargain' for the first 
time." 
 
If that is the case, it means that the U.S. government ended up 
publicly refuting a speech by the ROK president simply because of a 
difference in wording.  This is rare in diplomacy.  The reason why 
the U.S. is cool to President Lee's proposal is that, with the U.S. 
stressing both sanctions and dialogue toward the North, Washington 
is not pleased that President Lee's "grand bargain" seems to have 
pulled sanctions against the North off the table.  But the U.S. 
knows that the consistent stance of the ROK government is to 
continue sanctions against the communist country. 
 
"In fact, the point that we tried to make was how careful that we 
need to be at this juncture to be consolidated in our approach," 
 
SEOUL 00001528  005 OF 006 
 
 
Campbell said.  Yet when it comes to Lee's proposal, the exact 
opposite has happened between the ROK and the U.S.  The future of 
talks with North Korea remains doubtful now that this has happened, 
especially at a time when fresh nuclear dismantlement talks have yet 
to begin. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
TAKING INITIATIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, September 24, 2009, page 27) 
 
The United Nations (UN) summit on climate change concluded in New 
York yesterday. The take on this meeting is that it succeeded in 
maintaining a minimal degree of momentum for the upcoming climate 
change conference in Copenhagen, where efforts will be made to 
establish a new climate change agreement to replace the Kyoto 
Protocol that expires in 2012.  This conclusion comes from the 
slightly more sincere approach to discussions shown by the various 
countries including a promise from Chinese President Hu Jintao that 
his country, which leads the world in carbon dioxide emissions, will 
reduce its emissions markedly by 2020. 
 
Prior to this summit, the dominant view was one of skepticism 
regarding the Copenhagen conference.  This was due to the vast 
differences in opinion among the various countries on specific 
reduction targets and the rate of reductions.  The U.S., in 
particular, indicated that it would only participate in the climate 
change agreement if developing countries like China and India 
presented binding reduction targets.  The developing countries, for 
their part, responded that advanced nations should bear a larger 
burden, in that they have a greater historical responsibility for 
global warming. 
 
Amid this set of circumstances, Hu's promise of "marked reductions" 
is significant in that it marks a breakthrough in discussions, as 
China can now serve as a locomotive for other developing countries 
and the U.S.  A climate change agreement cannot perform its proper 
function without leading roles from the U.S. and China, which 
together account for 40 percent of worldwide carbon dioxide 
emissions.  Indeed, the Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, lost much 
of its driving force when the U.S. withdrew, unable to ratify the 
protocol in the Senate. 
 
However, the situation now is far worse than it was in 1997.  Even 
U.S. President Barack Obama, who was reluctant to take part in an 
agreement, was compelled to warn that if the world fails to respond 
immediately to climate change, "we risk consigning future 
generations to an irreversible catastrophe."  Still, the U.S. has 
not presented any new proposals.  This is a regrettable state of 
affairs. 
 
Now is the time for the nations of the world to transcend their 
narrow interests and respond together to a worldwide threat.  Above 
all, the key is Washington's active attitude.  President Obama 
should exercise leadership to persuade Congress to join this noble 
global cause.  China as well must fulfill its responsibility as a 
"G-2" nation by presenting specific reduction targets, and the ROK 
must also assume an active approach.  The new administration in 
Japan appears to be taking initiative in this area and presented the 
goal of a 25 percent reduction from 1990 levels by the year 2020. 
It also has an ambitious plan for using the environmental industry 
as a new source of sustainable development.  Hesitation on the part 
of any country is tantamount to relinquishing leadership in this 
area. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
CHINA ISSUES PLAN TO CUT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS; NOW IS TIME FOR 
U.S. TO RESPOND 
(JoongAng Ilbo, September 24, 2009, page 46: Excerpts) 
 
SEOUL 00001528  006 OF 006 
 
 
 
China pledged to curb its carbon dioxide emissions by a notable 
margin by 2020.  During a September 22 speech at the UN Summit on 
Climate Change, Chinese President Hu Jintao said, "We will endeavor 
to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin 
by 2020 from the 2005 level".  China has emerged as the world's 
largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing the U.S. 
which accounts for 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. 
This Chinese pledge will provide a breakthrough in striking a 
post-Kyoto Protocol framework at the UN climate change conference 
which will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark in December. 
 
The U.S. and China, which are responsible for about a half of the 
world's carbon dioxide emissions, have been at odds over this issue, 
passing the buck to each other.  China, which still has a long way 
to go before becoming an economic power, emits the largest amount of 
carbon dioxide in the world, but emphasizes that the U.S. should 
take responsibility as a developed country.  The U.S. says that 
unless China vows to reduce carbon dioxide, an international 
agreement carries no meaning, dimming the prospect of the Copenhagen 
summit. 
 
The U.S. should take a forward-looking attitude like China by having 
the cap-and-trade bill passed without delay in the Senate.  This 
will pave the way for a new pact to be struck in Copenhagen to 
replace the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012. 
 
The international community shares the understanding that it is 
imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent global 
warming.  To this end, developed countries should play an active 
role.  It is noteworthy that the European Union (EU) pledged to 
reduce emissions from 18% to 20% by 2020 and the new Japanese 
government promised to cut Japan's greenhouse gas emissions 25 
percent by 2020 from 1990 levels.  Developed countries also should 
provide funds and technology support for developing countries to 
curb greenhouse gas emissions. 
 
Climate change is directly related to the fate of the earth.  All 
countries should realize that climate change is an urgent issue and 
should make concentrated efforts to make the Copenhagen summit 
successful.  The U.S. should exercise leadership and responsibility. 
 
 
 
 
STEPHENS