VZCZCXRO1166
OO RUEHGH
DE RUEHUL #1832/01 3220748
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180748Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6270
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 9421
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC//DDI/OEA//
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//FPA//
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DB-Z//
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0521
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6940
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 7000
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 1506
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5315
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 4257
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 7469
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1746
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3052
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2131
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2737

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 SEOUL 001832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; November 18, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, All TVs 
ROK to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions 30 Percent by 2020 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
U.S., China Hide Differences and Voice Cooperation 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
U.S., China Urge N. Korea to Promptly Return 
to Six-Party Talks 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Lee Myung-bak Administration's Race to Implement Policy Causes 
Confusion and Conflict 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
President Barack Obama will arrive in Seoul today for a summit 
meeting tomorrow with President Lee Myung-bak. The two leaders are 
expected to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue and the KORUS 
FTA, among other things. (All) 
 
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, in a Nov. 17 regular briefing, said 
that the ROKG is considering setting up an independent military base 
in the Afghan province of Parwan, north of the capital Kabul, when 
it sends troops there to protect ROK civilian aid workers. (All) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
----------------- 
 
President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed on Nov. 17 to 
cooperate on a host of global issues from climate change to North 
Korea. (All) 
 
President Obama said during a joint press conference with his 
Chinese counterpart: "We agreed on resuming the Six-Party Talks 
process as soon as possible. North Korea has a choice between 
further isolation and provocation or becoming a full part of the 
international community, which can give a better life to its 
people." (All) 
 
According to a Japanese weekly magazine, Japanese Prime Minister 
Yukio Hatoyama is seeking to visit North Korea next month to resolve 
the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents. 
(Hankook) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-President Obama's Asia Trip 
---------------------------- 
All ROK media covered yesterday's summit meeting in Beijing between 
President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, reporting 
that the two leaders agreed to continue with the stalled Six-Party 
Talks and urged North Korea to promptly return to the multilateral 
talks.  Most coverage highlighted President Obama's statement during 
a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart: "We agreed on 
resuming the Six-Party Talks process as soon as possible." 
 
The media also observed that the two leaders remained divided over 
key issues, including human rights, trade, and climate change. 
 
Newspapers carried the following headlines: "Obama, Hu Jintao: Same 
Bed, Different Dreams ... They Show Differences on Every Major 
Issue" (conservative Chosun Ilbo); "U.S., China Hide Differences and 
Voice Cooperation; Obama Mentions N. Korea's Isolation In Case of 
 
SEOUL 00001832  002 OF 005 
 
 
Provocation, While Hu Jintao Stresses Resolution Through Dialogue" 
(right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo); "Obama Indirectly Presses for 
Yuan's Appreciation... Hu Jintao Remains Silent" (conservative 
Dong-a Ilbo); and "U.S., China in General Harmony on Security and 
Economic Issues... but Out of Sync on Sensitive Issues, including 
Currency Exchange Rates" (moderate Hankook Ilbo) 
 
 Conservative Dong-a Ilbo editorialized: "President Obama has 
launched earnest efforts to establish a strategic cooperative 
relationship with China, a nation which will emerge as the world's 
largest economy in the near future.  This U.S.-China summit is part 
of these efforts. ...  At tomorrow's summit, the leaders of the ROK 
and the U.S. should come up with specific measures to bring North 
Korea back to the negotiating table and present them to Six-Party 
nations, including China.  We need to make President Obama, who will 
visit Seoul for the first time, aware that the North Korean nuclear 
issue is more urgent than the Iranian issue.  With Washington's 
China-focused policy, the strengthening of the ROK-U.S. alliance has 
become more desperately needed." 
 
Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun wrote in an editorial: "This 
(U.S.-China) summit leaves something to be desired.  ... The two 
leaders agreed to work toward an accord at next month's UN-backed 
climate change talks in Copenhagen which will have immediate 
operational effect, but reiterated their previous positions in terms 
of details.  Furthermore, Chinese President Hu Jintao, while 
stressing cooperation on macroeconomic policies, made no mention of 
the yuan peg to a weakening dollar, an issue which has been the 
focus of great attention." 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
KOREA MUST BE READY FOR THE NEW WORLD ORDER 
(Chosun Ilbo, November 18, 2009, Page 39) 
 
The meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese 
President Hu Jin-tao in Beijing was an opportunity to signal the 
beginning a new world order led by China and the U.S.  During his 
four-day visit, Obama stressed that Beijing was a "powerful partner" 
in U.S. efforts to deal with global challenges.  "A strong and 
prosperous China can be the source of strength for the international 
community and the United States will not seal China off," he said. 
 
Even on the issue of Tibetan independence, Obama practically sided 
with China by saying, "We recognize that Tibet is part of the 
People's Republic of China."  Gone are criticisms of Beijing's human 
rights abuses which previous U.S. presidents made during their 
visits to China.  The U.S. and China both avoided any 
unpleasantness.  "China's partnership has helped the United States 
pull out of the worst recession in a generation," Obama said. 
 
The U.S. recorded a $1.4 trillion deficit over the last year 
starting in September of 2008, while the accumulated fiscal deficit 
amounts to 80 percent of its GDP.  The U.S. government must continue 
issuing Treasury Bills in order to run the country.  China is 
America's largest creditor owning $800 billion worth of U.S. 
Treasury notes.  The U.S. is no longer in a position to tell China 
what to do. 
 
The North Korean nuclear standoff was the first issue where 
agreement was announced at the post-summit press conference.  "We 
agreed on the importance of resuming the Six-Party Talks as soon as 
possible," Obama said.  "Both of us remain committed to resolving 
the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and 
consultation," Hu said.  "Such a commitment serves the common 
interests of China and the United States and all other parties 
concerned." 
 
Matters concerning the Korean Peninsula will become staple items on 
the agenda of future U.S.-China talks.  Both countries have deep 
interests on the peninsula.  In July, the U.S. government even 
proposed strategic talks with China to deal with sudden and 
 
SEOUL 00001832  003 OF 005 
 
 
unexpected changes happening in North Korea.  The North Korean 
nuclear problem, Korean reunification and other issues will be 
discussed between Washington and Beijing and that will to a large 
extent determine how the international community acts. 
 
There is no guarantee that the solutions offered either 
independently or jointly by the U.S. and China will always be in 
line with South Korea's interests and plans.  As a new era dawns, 
Seoul's diplomatic strategies must change.  It is time to go beyond 
the single-track approach and come up with a multi-layered plan. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
U.S., CHINA SHOULD EXERT MORE PROACTIVE EFFORTS ON GLOBAL ISSUES 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, November 18, 2009, Page 31) 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao had a 
summit in Beijing yesterday and agreed to cooperate on a broad range 
of issues from macroeconomic matters to space development.  Based on 
the shared view that a healthy improvement in bilateral relations is 
important not only for the two nations but also for world peace and 
safety, the two leaders decided to work together to resolve the 
global economic crisis, achieve success at the UN climate change 
conference, and deter nuclear proliferation. 
 
It is meaningful that the U.S., as the world's superpower, and 
China, which is emerging as one of the G2 nations with the U.S., 
have agreed to expand their cooperation on global pending issues. 
Especially noteworthy at the U.S.-China summit were discussions 
about the nuclear issue.  The two leaders decided to fall into step 
with each other over the resolution of the North Korean and Iranian 
nuclear issues.   Instead of taking a lukewarm attitude to the 
Iranian nuclear issue as he has always done, Chinese President Hu 
said this time that it is very important for the international 
community to uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation 
regime and properly resolve the Iran nuclear issue through dialogue 
and negotiation.  It seems that China made significant headway in 
resolving the Iranian nuclear issue. 
 
The two presidents also took similar positions on the North Korean 
nuclear issue.  In a joint statement, both leaders called for an 
early resumption of the Six-Party Talks, repeatedly emphasizing the 
need to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully. 
President Hu said, "Both of us remain committed to resolving the 
nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and 
consultation," adding, "Such a commitment serves the common 
interests of China and the U.S. and all other parties concerned." 
Now, it is the North's turn to respond to the two leaders' 
commitment.  Moreover, not only North Korea but also the ROK should 
shy away from a confrontational posture and actively engage in 
dialogue in order to achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. 
 
This (U.S.-China) summit leaves something to be desired given the 
international status of the two countries.  They made little 
progress on pending issues such as the UN Climate Change Conference 
in Copenhagen and the yuan's appreciation.  The two leaders agreed 
to work toward an accord at next month's UN-backed climate change 
talks in Copenhagen which will have immediate operational effect, 
but reiterated their previous positions in terms of details. 
Furthermore, Chinese President Hu Jintao, while stressing 
cooperation on macroeconomic policies, made no mention of the yuan 
peg to a weakening dollar, an issue which has been the focus of 
great attention.   Even though they are tricky issues, China should 
have shown a more responsible attitude since it has great influence 
on the world. 
 
 
U.S.-CHINA HONEYMOON PERIOD; ROK-U.S. ALLIANCE SHOULD BE FURTHER 
STRENGTHENED 
(Dong-a Ilbo, November 18, page 35) 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in Seoul today following his 
 
SEOUL 00001832  004 OF 005 
 
 
trip to Japan and China.  President Obama is using his first tour of 
Asia as an opportunity to reshape the ROK-U.S., U.S.-China, and 
U.S.-Japan relations and proclaim the U.S.' Asia policy.  Obama 
billed himself as "America's first Pacific president," vowing to 
strengthen political, economic and military cooperation with Asian 
countries.  He emphasizes mutual cooperation (with Asia), steering 
away from unilateral diplomacy and is extending his hand to Asia. 
This Asia-centered policy may spark a change to the ROK's diplomatic 
approach.  Most of all, we desperately need to respond actively to a 
change in the international order, which will likely be triggered by 
a "special relationship" between the U.S. and China. 
 
The U.S. and China mark 30 years of diplomatic ties this year.  It 
appears that President Obama put more emphasis on his visit to China 
than his trip to the ROK and Japan, which are the U.S.'s traditional 
allies.  Obama stayed in China for three days, longer than his 
two-day itineraries in the ROK and Japan.  With the full-blown G2 
era looming ahead, he particularly concentrated on making 
coordination with China.  It seems that the U.S.-China summit also 
yielded good results.  During yesterday's press conference, 
President Obama stressed the need to cooperate with China to tackle 
challenges such as climate change, nuclear nonproliferation and 
economic recovery.  Chinese President Hu Jintao said in response 
that both countries agreed to address global challenges as a 
partner. 
 
President Obama intends to use U.S.-China cooperation as a driving 
force to develop bilateral relations and resolve global issues.  At 
the first U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue in Washington in 
July, the U.S. already unveiled its strategies to resolve global 
pending issues through cooperation with Beijing.  President Obama 
has launched earnest efforts to establish a strategic cooperative 
partnership with China, a nation which will emerge as the world's 
largest economy in the near future.  This U.S.-China summit is part 
of these efforts. 
 
It is noteworthy that the leaders of the U.S. and China approached 
the North Korean nuclear issue from the aspect of nuclear 
nonproliferation.  They gave almost similar attention to the North 
Korean and Iranian nuclear issues.  Chinese President Hu Jintao 
stressed, "We should move ahead with the denuclearization of the 
Korean Peninsula and the Six-Party process," adding that like the 
Iranian nuclear issue, the North Korean nuclear issue should also be 
"resolved through dialogue and negotiations."  However, China is 
probably well aware that there is a limit to dialogue and 
negotiations in dealing with North Korea. 
 
At tomorrow's summit, the leaders of the ROK and the U.S. should 
come up with specific measures to bring North Korea back to the 
negotiating table and present them to Six-Party nations, including 
China.  We need to make President Obama, who will visit Seoul for 
the first time, aware that the North Korean nuclear issue is more 
urgent than the Iranian issue.  With Washington's China-focused 
policy, the strengthening of the ROK-U.S. alliance has become more 
desperately needed. 
 
 
FEATURES 
-------- 
 
"OBAMA EFFECT" SOOTHES LIBERAL GROUPS IN KOREA 
(Dong-a Ilbo, November 18, 2009, Page 3) 
 
By Reporter Yoon Wan-joon 
 
Korean liberals have had a much milder response to the Seoul visit 
of U.S. President Barack Obama than toward those of his 
predecessors.  The Allied Conference of Civic Groups Opposing 
Redeployment of Troops to Afghanistan will hold an anti-war 
candlelight vigil today in downtown Seoul opposing the redeployment 
of Korean troops to Afghanistan and urging a stop to the U.S.-led 
occupation of the war-torn country.  The Conference is a gathering 
of 60 civic groups, including the People's Solidarity for 
Participatory Democracy and Korean Solidarity for Social Progress. 
 
SEOUL 00001832  005 OF 005 
 
 
 
A member of People's Solidarity said, "We will demand that the U.S. 
not pressure Korea to send troops to Afghanistan.  We are not 
completely against Obama's visit to Korea."  Yet it is unlikely that 
the civic groups will hold a protest against Obama while he visits 
Seoul, in stark contrast to the fierce demonstration they held when 
his predecessor, George W. Bush, came in August last year. 
 
Analysts say the launch of the Obama Administration has dramatically 
increased Korean affection for the U.S.  Anti-American sentiment, 
which peaked with rallies against U.S. beef imports in the spring of 
last year, has decreased significantly.  In July, the 
Washington-based Pew Research Center surveyed 702 adults, aged 18 
and older, in 25 countries, and found that 78 percent of Koreans 
view the U.S. favorably, the third highest following Kenya, the 
birth country of Obama's father, and Nigeria.  Korean affection for 
the U.S. had steadily decreased from 58 percent in 2000 to 52 
percent in 2002 and further to 46 percent in 2003. 
 
Two reasons explain the improvement in the Korean view of the U.S. 
First is the election of Obama as President.  Koreans recognize the 
power of an American democracy that elected its first 
African-American chief executive. 
 
This is a reflection of international support for Obama's smart 
diplomacy of using dialogue and cooperation.  In 2002, opposition 
mounted against the Bush Administration's use of unilateral 
diplomacy.  Whenever incidents, such as the deaths of two high 
school girls at the hands of the U.S. military, occurred, anti-U.S. 
sentiment erupted.  Liberal groups in Korea, however, have not 
ignored the meaning of Obama's election and his policies. 
 
University of North Korean Studies professor Gu Gap-woo said, 
"Perceptions are changing in a way that there is no reason to hate 
the U.S. if U.S. policies are reasonable.  Liberal groups also have 
raised expectations of the Obama Administration's policies." 
 
The second reason, according to experts, is liberal groups this time 
simply lack a sufficient reason to trigger anti-American sentiment 
or cause and logical grounds for attacks, but their deep-rooted 
hatred of the U.S. remains.  The left-leaning Korean group National 
Liberty, whose existence is based on anti-Americanism, has 
apparently lost a clear target with the launch of the Obama 
Administration.  "Anti-American sentiment that sees the U.S. as a 
persecutor in modern Korean history has not gone away, though the 
Korean impression of the U.S. has grown more positive," Seoul 
National University professor Jeon Sang-in said.  "A friendly 
environment should be created among Koreans and Americans through 
public diplomacy that goes beyond elite-oriented Korean-U.S. 
exchanges." 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
STEPHENS