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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SEOUL 001628 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; October 15, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, All TVs 
¶N. Korea Expresses Regret over Flood Deaths 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Supreme Court, Constitutional Court in Turf War over Constitutional 
Court Law Revision 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
Nationwide "Zero Food Waste Campaign" Launched 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
The Title, "Administrative City," Disappears 
from Sejong City Construction Site 
 
Segye Ilbo 
Banks Still "Stingy" with Loans to Low-income Households 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
North Korea expressed "regrets" over the death of six ROK citizens 
in a flash flood caused by its sudden discharge of dam water and 
offered condolences to their bereaved families during yesterday's 
working-level, inter-Korean talks. The ROKG accepted this as an 
apology. (All) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
On Oct. 13, the U.S. reserved its judgment on whether North Korea's 
recent short-range-missile tests violated UN Security Council 
resolutions. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip 
Crowley was quoted as reiterating Washington's position during a 
regular briefing that, "We're interested in seeing North Korea 
recommit to its obligations that it's made in the past few years." 
(Chosun) 
 
Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, meanwhile, said in Beijing yesterday: "The U.S. 
will not entertain direct negotiations between the U.S. and North 
Korea, absent a Six-Party commitment." (Chosun, Segye, KBS) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
-N. Korea 
--------- 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo ran an inside-page report saying that the 
U.S. has reserved its judgment on whether North Korea's recent 
short-range-missile tests violated UN Security Council resolutions. 
Chosun quoted a senior State Department official as telling 
reporters on Oct. 12 that the USG is still "thinking about the 
matter," adding: "Whether the North violated UNSC resolutions will 
be determined based on an analysis of aspects including how far the 
missiles flew." 
 
The Chosun report also noted press remarks by Assistant Secretary of 
State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley, in which he reiterated 
Washington's position: "We're interested in seeing North Korea 
recommit to its obligations that it's made in the past few years." 
 
Conservative Chosun and Segye Ilbo and state-run KBS quoted Kurt 
Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs, as saying in Beijing yesterday: "The U.S. will not 
entertain direct negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea, 
absent a Six-Party commitment." 
 
All ROK media gave front-page play to North Korea's expression 
 
SEOUL 00001628  002 OF 004 
 
 
yesterday of "regrets" over the death of six ROK citizens in a flash 
flood caused by its sudden discharge of dam water and the North's 
offer of condolences to their bereaved families.  The ROKG was 
reported as having accepted this as an apology. 
 
Newspapers carried the following headlines: "Thawing Inter-Korean 
Relations... Will the Rest of Issues, Including Kaesong Industrial 
Complex and Mt. Kumgang Tours, be Plain Sailing?" (conservative 
Chosun Ilbo); "Is It Sincere Apology or Pretense?" (right-of-center 
JoongAng Ilbo); "Minimum Sincerity from N. Korea ... Generous 
Interpretation by ROK" (conservative Dong-a Ilbo); and "N. Korea's 
About-Face Aimed at Removing 'Obstacle' to Talks with U.S." 
(moderate Hankook Ilbo) 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
READY TO RETAKE WARTIME CONTROL? 
(Dong-a Ilbo, October 15, 2009, page 39) 
 
On April 17, 2012, the ROK will take over wartime operational 
control for the first time in 62 years and the Combined Forces 
Command will disappear.  President Rhee Syng-man gave such control 
to the Commander in Chief of the UN Forces in Korea, Gen.  Douglas 
MacArthur, immediately after North Korea invaded the ROK on June 25, 
¶1950.  Without the blood of soldiers from 16 countries under the 
U.N. flag, including those from the U.S., the Republic of Korea 
would not be free today. 
 
The problem is the date of the control's handover: April 17, 2012. 
It is doubtful whether ROK forces are sufficiently prepared to take 
the lead in times of war after the Combined Forces Command is 
dissolved.  North Korea cares nothing for its people and is only 
interested in developing intercontinental ballistic missiles.  Even 
with Seoul's modern weapons, they cannot counter Pyongyang's 
"asymmetric arms" such as nuclear weapons or missiles.  Without the 
intelligence and nuclear umbrella of the U.S., the ROK cannot feel 
safe.  North Korea has sets a goal of becoming a militant country by 
2012 and has never given up its desire to communize the Korean 
Peninsula. 
 
The ROK will hold a presidential election at the end of 2012, and 
confusion in the election campaign, conflict and divided opinion is 
likely.  The relocation of the U.S. base in Seoul's Yongsan district 
to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, which will occur at the same time 
as the disbanding of the Combined Forces Command, will be delayed 
for more than two years.  The defense budget was supposed to be 
raised 9.9 percent per year in the plan "Defense Reform 2020" set by 
the previous Roh Moo-hyun Administration, but has been cut 3.8 
percent in next year's budget.  Since securing the budget will be 
more difficult, a series of plans to beef up national defense in 
preparation for the return of wartime operational command are 
expected to be interrupted.  The ROK has just half of the needed 
missiles for the Aegis warship Sejong.  The SM-6, which will occupy 
a third of a vertical launch pad, is still under development. 
Cutting-edge F-15K fighter jets that cost 100 billion won (85.9 
million dollars) each are also not fully operational. 
 
It was inappropriate for the Roh Administration, in its bilateral 
defense talks in February 2007, to set the date for change of 
wartime command to April 17 as if the ROK had been liberated from 
U.S. colonial rule.  The ROK handed over operational command to the 
U.S. July 14, 1950, after the Korean War broke out.* 
 
The Roh Administration understood that wartime operational command 
was a matter of survival and even more critical than sovereignty and 
independence.  This is why Seoul must retake the command only after 
it is prepared enough to counter Pyongyang's provocation alone. 
Endangering national security to save face and pride is foolish. 
Just 30 months remain before Seoul takes over wartime command. 
 
(Ed. Note: This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it 
is similar to the Korean version. 
 
SEOUL 00001628  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
*The journalist is saying that the Roh Administration specifically 
chose the date April 17 (4/17) for the proposed return of 
operational control as a symbolic date because it is the numeric 
reverse of the date July 14, 1950 (7/14), when the ROK  turned over 
operational command to the U.S. after the Korean War broke out.) 
 
 
FEATURES 
--------- 
 
NASA PREDICTS LINKS WITH KOREA SPACE PROGRAM 
(JoongAng Daily, October 14, 2009, page 2) 
 
Yonhap News 
 
DAEJEON - Korea has the potential to become an important partner in 
efforts aimed at advancing exploration and technology for the 
peaceful use of space, the head of the U.S. aerospace administration 
said yesterday. 
 
National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) chief Charles 
Bolden, Jr. said at the International Astronautical Congress in 
Daejeon, located 164 kilometers (102 miles) south of Seoul, that the 
country has made noticeable strides with its robust space program by 
building satellites and launching a rocket into orbit. 
 
He said that future cooperative endeavors could take place in such 
areas as lunar exploration, satellites and the field of aeronautics. 
 
 
The remarks come after President Lee Myung-bak said on Monday that 
Seoul is seeking to forge cooperative relations with top space 
exploration leaders like the United States and is considering a move 
to take part in a U.S.-led lunar exploration project. 
 
"NASA is hopeful of enhancing bilateral cooperation that can make 
South Korea a vital partner along with other countries," Bolden told 
reporters. 
 
He did not go into details, but said that new cooperative endeavors 
can be explored in a wide range of promising areas along with 
traditional fields where two-way exchanges have taken place in the 
past. 
 
At present, NASA exchanges data and information on Earth observation 
that is used to monitor climate change and weather conditions. 
 
The former Marine Corps major general said Washington is waiting for 
the release of the so-called Augustine Report, which will highlight 
the need for international cooperation in future space endeavors as 
a way to defray skyrocketing costs and spread out risks. 
 
Bolden said that the United States has held talks on future 
cooperation with "non-traditional space partners" such as Vietnam, 
Malaysia and Thailand to discern the positions of these countries. 
He also stressed that while policy makers in Seoul believe they are 
far behind technologically, there are not many countries that can 
build satellites and launch space vehicles from their own soil. 
 
Bolden was appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama as NASA 
administrator earlier this year. 
 
 
NASA ADMINISTRATOR: "COOPERATION WITH THE ROK COULD TAKE PLACE IN 
LUNAR EXPLORATION, SPACE VEHICLES" 
(Chosun Ilbo, October 14, 2009, Page 8) 
 
By Reporter Lee Young-wan from Daejeon 
 
"The ROK will cooperate with the U.S. in many areas, such as manned 
lunar exploration projects and climate observation.  Cooperation 
could also take place in the field of space vehicles." 
 
 
SEOUL 00001628  004 OF 004 
 
 
National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) chief Charles 
Bolden made the statement to reporters at the International 
Astronautical Congress in Daejeon on October 13.  He added, "The 
ROK's satellite technologies, which I saw during a visit to the 
Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), were very impressive. 
Once the U.S. Administration decides its policy direction on space 
development, we plan to actively push for cooperation (with the 
ROK.)" 
 
¶Q. How will NASA cooperate with the ROK on the ROK's lunar 
exploration? 
 
"It is natural to cooperate with the ROK because it is a 
scientifically advanced nation.  (Officials at) NASA and KARI are 
already seeking specific ways to cooperate by visiting each other." 
 
¶Q. In what field is it possible to cooperate? 
 
"During this visit, I checked what KARI has done so far.  An 
agreement of mutual cooperation in such areas as observation of 
global climate change will be signed at the working level tonight." 
 
Mr. Bolden reportedly agreed with KARI President Lee Joo-jin on the 
afternoon of October 12 to push for 24 cooperative projects in five 
fields - earth science, space science, space exploration, space 
communications, and aeronautics - starting next year. 
 
¶Q. Japan developed its space vehicle with the help of NASA.  Can 
NASA cooperate with the ROK in the field of space vehicles? 
 
"We will first actively push for cooperation in science fields, such 
as earth observation.  However, when the U.S. administration's 
policy on space development is decided upon, we could seek 
cooperation in the space vehicle field." 
 
¶Q. What is necessary for the ROK to develop in the field of space 
exploration? 
 
"The role of a leader is very important in space exploration.  The 
ROK is fortunate in that President Lee Myung-bak expressed interest 
in space exploration yesterday.  When meeting with President Obama, 
President Lee mentioned space development many times and said that 
the ROK is at an elementary level, but (I believe that) that is too 
modest.  The ROK has already made noticeable strides." 
 
Mr. Bolden has a deep relationship with the ROK.  He said, "When it 
comes to peace and space development, this is my first visit to the 
ROK, but I came to the ROK before for military reasons."  The former 
Marine Corps major general noted that he participated in the 
ROK-U.S. joint military drills in Pohang about a decade ago. 
 
(Editor's Note:  The same story was also carried by Hankyoreh 
Shinmun under the headline of "NASA Hopeful of Cooperating with ROK 
on Lunar Exploration."  The article reports:  "National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration (NASA) chief Charles Bolden, Jr. made a 
rare appearance at the International Astronautical Congress, 
garnering attention from the international space industry, 
businesses and scholars.  This event recorded the largest attendance 
in its sixty-year history apparently due to the involvement of the 
head of the U.S. aerospace administration.  Bolden said that NASA 
puts importance on environment and climate change, adding that the 
Administration will enhance cooperation with the ROK.  He noted that 
NASA has a particular interest in education.  Bolden went on to say 
that NASA will assist the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) 
in developing aeronautics and space educational programs so that 
students can develop their dreams and passions.  The Augustine 
Commission is an advisory committee under U.S. President Obama led 
by Norm Augustine, former CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp.  The 
Commission is exploring new possibilities for U.S 
 
 
STEPHENS