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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SEOUL 001802 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; November 13, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
Math Score Expected to Determine Success or Failure 
in Being Admitted to College 
 
JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo 
ROK to Allow Dual Citizenship on Limited Basis 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
Former Korea Express President:"I Gave Money 
to Three Influential Figures of the Roh Administration" 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Court Rules Former KBS Chief's Dismissal Unlawful 
 
Segye Ilbo 
Korean Language, English Sections on College Exam 
Get Tougher 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
Ruling, Opposition Parties in Tense Tug of War over Budget 
for Four-River Restoration Project 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
The ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that the ROKG 
remains unchanged in its plan to send civilian workers and security 
forces to help reconstruct Afghanistan, despite attacks on ROK 
companies there. (Hankyoreh) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
North Korea's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun said on November 12 
that the recent inter-Korean naval clash was a "deliberate and 
premeditated provocation" and warned that the ROK military "will be 
forced to pay dearly" for the action. (All)  It is noteworthy that 
the North's criticism was only targeted at the ROK military 
authorities, not the ROKG or President Lee Myung-bak. (Hankyoreh, 
Seoul) 
 
Japan's NHK reported yesterday that ROK Labor Minister Yim Tae-hee 
met unofficially with Kim Yang-gon, the North Korean official in 
charge of inter-Korean relations, in Singapore last month to discuss 
an inter-Korean summit, but their talks ended without progress. 
(Dong-a, Hankook) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
 
-President Obama in Asia 
------------------------- 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo said on its front page that Obama's first 
Asia trip will be tough for him because he will face challenging 
issues, such as the U.S. base relocation in Japan, human rights 
abuses in China, and the ROK-U.S. FTA. 
 
-North Korea - South Korea 
--------------------------- 
Most newspapers carried the November 12 commentary of North Korea's 
state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun. It said that the recent 
inter-Korean naval clash was a "deliberate and premeditated 
provocation" and warned that the ROK military "will be forced to pay 
dearly" for the action.  Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun said that it 
is noteworthy that the North's criticism was only targeted at the 
 
SEOUL 00001802  002 OF 004 
 
 
ROK military authorities, not the ROKG or President Lee Myung-bak. 
 
Conservative Dong-a Ilbo and moderate Hankook Ilbo replayed Japan's 
NHK report that ROK Labor Minister Yim Tae-hee met unofficially with 
Kim Yang-gon, the North Korean official in charge of inter-Korean 
relations, in Singapore last month to discuss an inter-Korean 
summit, but their talks ended without progress. 
 
-Afghanistan 
------------- 
Most newspapers reported that U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl 
Eikenberry expressed his reservations about deploying additional 
troops to Afghanistan, worrying that the U.S.'s troop dispatch will 
increase the Afghan government's dependence on U.S. support.  Chosun 
Ilbo reported that the U.S. will reconsider its additional troop 
dispatch plan, with U.S. President Barack Obama having called on his 
national security team to revise the options for the U.S. war 
strategy in Afghanistan during the latest review of his Afghanistan 
policy. 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun quoted a Blue House official as saying that the 
ROKG remains unchanged in its plan to send civilian workers and 
security forces to help reconstruct Afghanistan, despite attacks on 
ROK companies there. 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "It was confirmed that around the 
time that the ROKG announced its decision to send troops to 
Afghanistan, armed gunmen assaulted the ROK firm's road construction 
site three times.  This clearly shows how reckless the ROKG's 
decision on troop redeployment was. ... We cannot but suspect that 
the attack may have been designed to warn Seoul against troop 
redeployment.  Still, the ROKG rushed to say that it appears that 
the Taliban was not behind the attack, which is an irresponsible 
(approach) for a government that should protect its people. ... The 
decision to redeploy ROK troops to Afghanistan must be retracted." 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
U.S.-JAPAN CONFLICTS AND THE HATOYAMA ADMINISTRATION'S TRUE 
INTENTIONS 
(JoongAng Ilbo, November 13, page 45: Excerpts) 
 
By Yoon Duk-min, Professor at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and 
Security 
 
Japan has decided to stop refueling American warships in the Indian 
Ocean starting next January.  The Hatoyama Administration also wants 
Futenma air base moved off Okinawa or pulled out of Japan 
completely.  This means scrapping a 2006 U.S.-Japan agreement over 
the U.S. military's realignment in Japan.  Hatoyama said during a 
trilateral summit of the ROK, China and Japan that Japan has been 
overly reliant on the U.S., adding that even though the U.S.-Japan 
alliance is important, Japan wants to put more focus on Asia. 
Hatoyama claims the U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of 
Japan's diplomacy.  However, he also calls for reviewing the 
bilateral alliance in a comprehensive manner. 
 
U.S. has reacted coolly.  State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said 
during a press conference, "It's up to Japan to decide what kind of 
relationship they want to have."  Washington Post even reported that 
Japan, not China, is the U.S.'s most problematic relationship in 
Asia. 
 
Why does Prime Minister Hatoyama say "No" to the U.S. especially at 
a delicate time when Japan's national power is being eclipsed by 
China's?  Japan seeks to become a true sovereign country that acts 
in its national interest by overcoming the lingering scars of the 
defeat of war.  To this end, Japan has expressed a preference for a 
more equitable relationship with Washington, while placing more 
importance on Asia.  In addition, Japan wants to be free from the 
burden of its historical past in dealing with the ROK and China. 
 
 
SEOUL 00001802  003 OF 004 
 
 
This position by Hatoyama offers a great opportunity to President 
Lee Myung-bak, ahead of the ROK-U.S. summit.  Some people say that 
former President Roh had said all he wanted to say to the U.S. 
However, the Roh Administration reaped little practical gains even 
though it deployed 3,600 troops to Iraq.  In contrast, former Prime 
Minister Koizumi gained practical benefits by underscoring the 
importance of Japan's relations with the U.S.  The Hatoyama 
Administration is hastily devising ways to provide 7 billion dollars 
of aid to Afghanistan to patch up relations with the U.S., prior to 
the U.S. -Japan summit.  Dismayed by Japan's recent moves, President 
Obama may need to hear a warm word from an ally.  Practical gains 
matter more than words.  We expect that the U.S.-ROK summit will be 
a place where the ROK strengthens its strategic alliance with the 
U.S. and achieves practical gains in the KORUS FTA and North Korean 
nuclear issues. 
 
 
ATTACKS DEMONSTRATE NEED TO RETRACT TROOP REDEPLOYMENT PLAN 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, November 13, 2009, page 31) 
 
It was confirmed that around the time that the ROKG announced its 
decision to send troops to Afghanistan, armed gunmen assaulted the 
ROK firm's road construction site three times.  This clearly shows 
how reckless the ROKG's decision on troop redeployment was. 
 
The Lee Administration has argued that the ROK suffered no direct 
casualties and said, "Since it was a minor attack or simple arson, 
it is difficult to view it as the work of the Taliban."  These 
claims, however, are unconvincing. The militants did not demand 
money or take items.  They simply set fire to equipment and fired 
warning shots.  The attacks also took place in the period 
immediately before and after the redeployment decision.  We cannot 
but suspect that the attack may have been designed to warn Seoul 
against troop redeployment.  Still, the ROKG rushed to say that it 
appears that the Taliban was not behind the attack, which is an 
irresponsible (approach) for a government that should protect its 
people. 
 
Presently, Afghanistan is in a state of extreme unrest, not only in 
terms of public security, but in the political situation as well. 
For this reason, even U.S. President Barack Obama is taking great 
pains with the decision to put more forces there and arguing that 
there are limits to the U.S.'s dedication to Afghanistan.  This is 
due to concern over the dangers that might arise from rash 
deployments in a situation of high uncertainty, with the leadership 
ability of Afghan President Hamid Karzai in doubt. 
 
Despite all of this, the ROK government announced on Oct. 30 that it 
would be sending in civilian reconstruction workers, as well as 
soldiers and police officers to guard them.  In total, some 400 to 
500 people are being dispatched.  As justification for sending 
troops, the government cited the need to establish conditions for 
the stable stationing of U.S. forces in the ROK and a responsibility 
to contribute to the war on terror as a "global Korea."  This is an 
absurd rationale.  The war on terror has long since lost any 
justification it may have had.  Even the Obama Administration stays 
away from the term.  The U.S. sent troops to Afghanistan to stamp 
out Al-Qaeda, but the result has been that the entire national 
territory has turned into a battlefield and some 40,000 residents 
have lost their lives to date.  In addition, the U.S.'s inability to 
deal a decisive blow to Al-Qaeda has only succeeded in strengthening 
Taliban forces and extremists in neighboring Pakistan, making the 
region even more unstable.  There is no reason for diving into this 
powder keg and for placing our citizens' lives in danger. 
 
Japan made the decision to end Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force's 
refueling assistance for multinational naval vessels and to provide 
economic support to Afghanistan and Pakistan instead.  Moreover, no 
other nation which has withdrawn forces has made the decision to 
redeploy forces.  Instead of sending our young people off into a war 
without justification, a better plan for international service would 
be to provide economic support that is of real help to the people of 
Afghanistan.  The decision to redeploy ROK troops to Afghanistan 
must be retracted. 
 
SEOUL 00001802  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
STEPHENS