VZCZCXRO8605
OO RUEHGH
DE RUEHUL #0182/01 0390656
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080656Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6994
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 9685
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 0765
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7257
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 7329
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 1758
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5600
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 4526
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 7739
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1995
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0078
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2366
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2989

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 SEOUL 000182 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; FEBRUARY 8, 2010 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
Chosun Ilbo 
ROKG to Ask for Return 
of Joseon Dynasty Royal Documents from Japan 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Courts Go Light on Violent Protestors; Few Ssangyong Workers Who 
Occupied Factory are Given Stiff Jail Sentences 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
The Korean War Remembered; 
A U.S. Korean War Veteran: "Koreans were Warm and Friendly... I 
Wanted to Give Them Freedom" 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
Alarm Spreads over Europe's Massive Deficits 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Various ROKG Regulations Putting Domestic Software Firms at a 
Disadvantage in Competition with Foreign Counterparts 
 
Segye Ilbo 
Number of Administrative Lawsuits against Large State Projects has 
Increased Fourfold under Current Administration 
 
Seoul Shinmun 
Senior Chinese Envoy Wang Jiarui Likely to Meet N. Korean Leader Kim 
Jong-il Today 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
The two Koreas will hold talks today in the North Korean border city 
of Kaesong to discuss resuming cross-border tours to the North's Mt. 
Kumgang. This is the first official meeting of its kind in 21 
months. Tours to the scenic mountain were halted after an ROK 
tourist was shot dead in August 2008.  (All) 
 
According to a key ROKG source, President Lee Myung-bak 
"communicates" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il via an 
intermediary, and if a message is sent in the morning, it reaches 
the other side in the afternoon the same day. (Chosun) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International 
Department, met in Pyongyang yesterday with his North Korean 
counterpart Kim Yong-il and is expected to meet with North Korean 
leader Kim Jong-il today to deliver a message from Chinese President 
Hu Jintao. (All) 
 
UN Special Envoy to North Korea Lynn Pascoe will visit Pyongyang 
from Feb. 9-12 to discuss "all issues of mutual interest and concern 
in a comprehensive manner." (All) 
 
Robert Park, an American missionary who crossed into North Korea on 
Christmas Day while calling for improvements in the North's human 
rights situation, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport from 
China on Feb. 7 and was greeted by his family; he had been held 43 
days in North Korea. (All) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-N. Korea 
-------- 
All ROK media covered the ongoing visit to North Korea by Wang 
 
SEOUL 00000182  002 OF 005 
 
 
Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International 
Department, reporting that he met with his North Korean counterpart 
Kim Yong-il yesterday and is expected to meet with North Korean 
leader Kim Jong-il today to deliver a message from Chinese President 
Hu Jintao. 
 
Most newspapers noted a flurry of diplomatic activities this week 
surrounding North Korea including the Feb. 9-12 visit to Pyongyang 
by a special envoy of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and  today's 
inter-Korean talks on the resumption of cross-border tours to Mt. 
Kumgang.  They also noted the Feb. 6 release of Korean-American 
human rights activist Robert Park, interpreting Park's release as a 
message of reconciliation to the U.S. 
 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo observed that North Korea may be conducting 
a "diplomatic charm offensive" and that this may be a testimony to 
the country's dire economic situation.  As support for this 
speculation, Chosun quoted an ROKG source as saying: "North Korea's 
spring food shortage has something to do with its diplomatic 
offensive.  It's hard to tell when North Korea will return to the 
Six-Party Talks, but it seems more and more likely that it will 
return." 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo wrote in the headline on Saturday 
(Feb. 6): "N. Korea May Intend to Use Robert Park's Release as a 
Lever to Improve Relations with U.S."  Moderate Hankook Ilbo's 
headline, meanwhile, read: "Speculation Growing that N. Korea's 
Decision to Return to Six-Party Talks May be Imminent" 
 
Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "The willingness of 
countries involved in the Six-Party Talks to resolve the North 
Korean nuclear issue through negotiations is stronger than ever. 
This is a good opportunity for North Korea to ease its security 
concerns and reestablish its relations with the international 
community.  The North is undergoing an unprecedented economic crisis 
following international sanctions and its botched currency reform. 
In this situation, if tensions about its nuclear program continue to 
escalate, not only North Korean citizens but also the Pyongyang 
regime itself will face greater difficulties.  The quicker the North 
returns to the Six-Party Talks, the better." 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
-------------------- 
 
A STRONGER ALLIANCE 
(JoongAng Ilbo, February 6, Page 30) 
 
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made some provocative remarks 
at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee last 
Wednesday.  He said that as the U.S. military is deeply involved in 
Iraq and Afghanistan, it will not be able to come to the ROK in a 
timely manner, and that the Navy and Air Force will fill the vacuum 
left by a delay in committing ground forces in Korea in case of an 
emergency. 
 
Under "Operations Plan 5027," a scenario for a war of aggression 
against North Korea, Washington is committed to dispatching some 
690,000 ground troops to the peninsula within two months after a war 
breaks out.  However, the Secretary of Defense publicly announced 
that ground troops will not be deployed as scheduled.  He insisted 
that, for the time being, the U.S. will be unable to properly handle 
any emergency situation in the early stages, even if a war breaks 
out on the Korean Peninsula.  Therefore, some of his comments may be 
considered provocative, given the fact that they may be misleading 
to North Korea. 
 
The reason why Gates's remarks received special attention is mainly 
due to the chaotic situation in the North.  Amid an atmosphere in 
which people (in North Korea) have become even more dissatisfied and 
agitated with the currency reform there, signs of conflict between 
the army and the Communist Party have also appeared.  Some experts 
say that there may be difficulties with the command and control 
systems in the seat of power due to Kim Jong-il's poor health and 
 
SEOUL 00000182  003 OF 005 
 
 
the succession issue. 
 
Against this backdrop, it seems that the U.S. Army has told the 
North that they should take advantage of this golden opportunity to 
invade the ROK while the U.S. is tied up in the Middle East. 
 
However, the ROKG insists that this is not a serious problem. The 
spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense is busy trying to 
convince people of this, saying that Secretary Gates insisted that 
the U.S. Army has the capacity to respond to emergency situations 
with support from the U.S. Navy and Air Force, although the 
commitment of ground forces to Korea would be delayed. 
 
But should we really be so relaxed? 
 
North Korea has 70 percent of its entire force stationed near the 
border with the ROK, and has 8,000 long-range artillery systems 
along the military demarcation line, presumably for a surprise 
attack against the ROK.  If the U.S. Army is delayed in its response 
to such a situation, can our army respond effectively to any assault 
by North Korea? 
 
The ROK is slated to assume wartime operational control of its 
military forces in April 2012.  However, there is not as yet a 
detailed operational plan for the Korean-led force.  The process of 
developing "Concept Plan 5029" into an operational plan to prepare 
for any kind of emergency in North Korea is currently underway.  In 
that case, U.S. armed forces could be withdrawn from the Korean 
Peninsula at any time.  In addition, reform of the ROK military 
continues at a snail's pace due to budgetary constraints, and a 
vacuum is growing within our nation's defense capabilities. 
 
We should prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario, keeping in 
mind that our greatest enemy is "hopeful expectation." 
 
The government should help the nation prepare for all emergency 
situations.  Needless to say, it is of great importance to propel 
the Korea-U.S. alliance to a new level.  If we had no problems with 
the alliance with the U.S., these words would not have come out of 
the lips of Defense Secretary Gates. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
¶N. KOREA SHOULD NOT HESITATE TO REJOIN SIX-PARTY TALKS 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, February 8, Page 31) 
 
Recently, we have been seeing more and more news about North Korea. 
There have been two main currents in the news.  One has had to do 
with the difficulties within North Korea, and the other with efforts 
to bring North Korea back to the Six-Party Talks in order to reach a 
resolution on the nuclear issue.  Aspects of both of these issues 
could change depending on the attitude shown by the North Korean 
government.  This is a time when (North Korea) especially needs the 
resolve to return to Six-Party Talks. 
 
It appears that things are headed in the direction of resuming the 
Six-Party Talks.  To begin with, Wang Jiarui, director of the 
International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist 
Party of China, is currently visiting North Korea.  Following upon 
the heels of another visit two months ago by U.S. Special 
Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth, this is part 
of an effort to clear the way for resuming the talks.  The 
first-ever visit by a special envoy for the United Nations, 
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.  In 
addition, North Korea made the decision a few days ago to free 
Robert Park, a Korean-American human rights activist who was caught 
entering the country illegally across the Tumen River on Dec. 25. 
Inter-Korean working-level talks are also set to begin in Kaesong 
today to discuss the resumption of tourism projects at Mt. Kumgang 
and Kaesong.  Additionally, recently noted efforts aimed at an 
inter-Korean summit are raising the likelihood of changes in 
inter-Korean relations. 
 
SEOUL 00000182  004 OF 005 
 
 
 
It is too early for optimism, however.  North Korea has continued to 
state that it will only return to the Six-Party Talks if the 
sanctions against it are lifted and headway is made in discussions 
on a peace agreement.  It also wants to receive a substantial amount 
of international aid necessary to relieve its current economic 
difficulties.  These demands are a long way from the positions of 
other participant nations, which feel that the talks must resume 
prior to agreeing to these conditions. 
 
Of course, the potential exists for both sides to find some common 
ground.  One way would be to officially agree to resume talks after 
agreeing upon on a broad schedule for discussions on 
denuclearization and a peace agreement.  Even if the decision to end 
sanctions against North Korea, which requires UN-level discussions, 
is put off until after the talks resume, humanitarian aid could at 
least be provided prior to resuming talks.  The precondition for aid 
would be securing North Korea's intent to denuclearize.  The 
international community will only undertake concrete action once it 
can in some way confirm North Korea's intentions. 
 
The willingness of countries involved in the Six-Party Talks to 
resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through negotiations is 
stronger than ever.  This is a good opportunity for North Korea to 
ease its security concerns and reestablish its relations with the 
international community.  The North is undergoing an unprecedented 
economic crisis following international sanctions and its botched 
currency reform.  In this situation, if tensions about its nuclear 
program continue to escalate, not only North Korean citizens but 
also the Pyongyang regime itself will face greater difficulties. 
The quicker the North returns to the Six-Party Talks, the better. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
FEATURES 
-------- 
 
MORE KOREANS CHOOSE INVESTMENT OPTION FOR U.S. GREEN CARDS 
(Chosun Ilbo, February 8, Page 2) 
 
By Reporters Kim Sang-min and Kwon Seung-jun 
 
At an information session for U.S. immigration through investment 
held at a hotel in Gangnam, Seoul on February 7, an employee from an 
immigration consulting agency in the ROK said, "You can get a green 
card within a year by investing just US$500,000 (590 million won). 
About twenty attendants aged 30 to 50 listened carefully. 
 
An information session for EB-5 investment which, two or three years 
ago, took place once a month, is now being held each week.  An 
increasing number of Koreans are immigrating to the U.S. through an 
investment program since the U.S. has loosened immigration 
restrictions in order to boost its economy which was hit hard by the 
global economic crisis. 
 
In 1990 the U.S. government began granting permanent residency, or 
green cards, to immigrants who invest over US$1 million in the 
country, and in 1993 it introduced an immigrant investment program 
dubbed "Regional Center EB-5 Program" which offers green cards to 
those who invest at least US$500,000.  The number of agencies which 
file applications for the immigration program on behalf of clients 
tripled to around 60 to 70 last year from 23 worldwide in 2008. 
This increase in agencies led to an increase in the number of 
information sessions for U.S. immigration through investment. 
 
Ms. Seong, whose husband works for a big company, said, "I'm 
thinking of immigrating to the U.S. through investment because my 
son, a high-school student, has not adapted to school life." 
Immigration through investment is a popular option especially among 
parents seeking to have their children educated in the U.S., as the 
parents and all children aged 21 or under are able to receive green 
cards.  Various benefits come with permanent residency, such as 
 
SEOUL 00000182  005 OF 005 
 
 
lower tuition fees for U.S. residents.  Between 2006 and 2008, 1,454 
Koreans obtained green cards via the program, the highest number 
among 67 countries that participated. 
 
China topped the list last year with 1,979, but the ROK was in 
second place with 903, which was a 30 percent increase from 693 in 
¶2008.  Over US$1 billion was invested in the U.S. through the 
program in 2008, with Koreans estimated to have contributed at least 
$400 million or 40 percent of the total. 
 
"I decided to apply for the immigration program with the children's 
education in mind, although we still live in the ROK," said a mother 
who obtained a green card last July.  "I tell other people that 
immigration through investment is the easiest and quickest way to 
get a green card." 
 
According to immigration agencies, two thirds of Koreans who have 
applied for the program do not live in the U.S. but rather travel 
between there and the ROK for business. 
 
(This is a translation prepared by the newspaper.  We have compared 
the English version on the website with the Korean version and added 
some sentences to make them identical.) 
 
 
STEPHENS