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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SEOUL 000244 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; FEBRUARY 17, 2010 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
 
Chosun Ilbo, Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun, All TVs 
ROK Wins First Winter Olympic Gold 
in Long-Track Speed Skating; 
Mo Tae-bum Wins Men's 500-Meter Race 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
"Uniting People" is Focus of 2012 Presidential Election; 
Although It's Too Soon to Tell, Most Political Leaders Surveyed Say 
Former Ruling GNP Chairperson Park Geun-hye 
Has Best Shot to Win 
 
Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo 
From Obscurity to National Hero: Mo Tae-bum Wins 
Korea's First Olympic Gold in Speed Skating 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
Ruling GNP Seeks Revision of Law on Assembly and Demonstration to 
Ban Rallies after 10 p.m. 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
According to The New York Times, in a major victory against the 
insurgents, the Taliban's top military commander has been arrested 
in a joint CIA-Pakistani operation in Pakistan. (All) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
-Afghanistan 
------------ 
Citing the foreign media, all ROK media covered the capture of 
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar who is reported to be the Taliban's No. 2 
leader behind Afghan Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar and a 
close associate of Osama bin Laden, in a joint CIA-Pakistani 
operation in Pakistan. 
 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo headlined its article: "Taliban's No. 2 
Leader Captured; Afghan War Enters New Phase."  Right-of-center 
JoongAng Ilbo cited a New York Times report saying: "American 
officials have seen indications that the Pakistani military and spy 
services may finally have begun to distance themselves from the 
Taliban.  Mullah Baradar's capture, in this regard, could suggest a 
new level of cooperation from Pakistani leaders, who have been 
ambivalent about American efforts to crush the Taliban." 
 
-U.S. Midterm Election 
----------------------- 
In a commentary, moderate Hankook Ilbo observed: "The Obama 
Administration has taken a hard-line approach on China, as 
illustrated by its decision to sell arms to Taiwan, criticism of 
China's Internet censorship and pressure to appreciate the Chinese 
currency, the Yuan.  ... Given that President Obama is putting top 
priority on winning the November midterm election, his hard-line 
approach is in accord with the sentiment of U.S. citizens who want 
(America's) hurt pride to be restored. ...  ROK-U.S. relations will 
also be affected by the upcoming U.S. election. ... President Obama 
has underscored the importance of export growth and job creation 
following his Jan. 27 State of the Union Address.  We should be 
prepared for possible stronger U.S. demands to renegotiate the KORUS 
FTA, including issues on auto provisions." 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
IMPACT OF U.S MIDTERM ELECTION 
 
SEOUL 00000244  002 OF 002 
 
 
(Hankook Ilbo, February 17, Page 38) 
 
By International News Editor Goh Tae-sung 
 
President Barack Obama will meet Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, 
the Dalai Lama, at the White House on November 18.  The White House 
said that the President looks forward to engaging in a constructive 
dialogue with the Dalai Lama.  The meeting is expected to irritate 
China, which has been cautioning President Obama not to meet the 
Tibetan leader. 
 
President Obama has not "always" looked forward to meeting with the 
Dalai Lama.  He did not meet the Tibetan religious leader in October 
last year when he came to Washington to receive a human rights award 
from the U.S. Congress.  Facing criticism from the U.S. Congress and 
human rights groups, President Obama said it would be difficult to 
meet the Dalai Lama before his visit to China (which was scheduled 
in November.)  It seems that the President was mindful of China's 
(reaction.)  (Therefore,) the Obama Administration's recent attitude 
toward China signals a dramatic change.  The Obama Administration 
has taken a hard-line approach on China, as illustrated by its 
decision to sell arms to Taiwan, criticism of China's Internet 
censorship and pressure to appreciate the Chinese currency, the 
Yuan. This is a big departure from the controversial passive 
attitude the President took when he visited China in November 2009. 
 
What made the U.S. change?  There are different opinions on this. 
Some observers say that the U.S. is taking a hard line with China 
because it has shrugged off U.S. demands that China play a more 
appropriate role as the world's second largest economy. In 
particular, we believe that the U.S. (upcoming) midterm election is 
the cause of the change in the attitude of the Obama Administration. 
 Given that President Obama is putting top priority on winning the 
November midterm election, his hard-line approach is in accord with 
the sentiment of U.S. citizens who want (America's) hurt pride to be 
restored. 
 
The midterm election began to have an impact (on the Obama 
Administration) after Democrats lost the Massachusetts Senate seat 
on January 19.  President Obama opposed the Supreme Court ruling on 
corporate spending in political campaigns.  He took a swipe at Wall 
Street for handing out big bonuses, saying that he wants to tax big 
banks to recover taxpayer money spent to bail out failing firms at 
the height of the financial crisis.  President Obama's later comment 
that the Wall Street bonuses are part of the free market system 
represents an about-face (from his previous position) ahead of the 
midterm election.  Analysts believe that he could not continue to 
ignore Wall Street, which provides political funds. 
 
ROK-U.S. relations will also be affected by the upcoming U.S. 
election.  A good example is the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement 
(KORUS FTA), about which President Obama seems to be sending mixed 
signals.  The prevailing opinion, prior to the midterm election, was 
that President Obama would not take action to seek congressional 
approval of the FTA.  However, things have changed since he 
delivered his State of the Union Address on January 27.  The 
President repeatedly made similar remarks after stressing the need 
for a KORUS FTA in his State of the Union Address.  In the State of 
the Union Address, he said, "We will double our exports over the 
next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in 
America." 
 
Therefore, observers in the ROK see brighter prospects for the 
ratification of the KORUS FTA.  But President Obama has underscored 
the importance of export growth and job creation following his Jan. 
27 State of the Union Address.  We should be prepared for possible 
stronger U.S. demands to renegotiate the KORUS FTA, including issues 
on auto provisions.  As demonstrated by a flurry of congressional 
hearings on Toyota's recalls, the U.S. will resolutely deal with 
areas of its interest ahead of the midterm election. 
 
 
STEPHENS