Cablegate: Seoul - Press Bulletin; January 5, 2010

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SEOUL 000008

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; JANUARY 5, 2010

TOP HEADLINES
-------------

Chosun Ilbo, All TVs
President Lee Proposes Liaison Offices with N. Korea

JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun, Segye
Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun
Record Snowfall Causes Capital Chaos

DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
----------------------

President Lee Myung-bak, in a Jan. 4 New Year's address, expressed
his desire for a "new turning point" in inter-Korean relations. He
proposed establishing channels for dialogue between the two Koreas
in order to have talks on a regular basis. (All)

President Lee also indicated his willingness to meet with North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il, citing recent changes in the North's
attitude toward ties with the ROK. Pyongyang had stressed the need
for improving ties with Seoul in its special New Year's editorials
issued on Jan. 1. (All)

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
------------------

According to Free North Korea Radio, an Internet news site operated
by North Korean defectors, as of midnight on Jan. 5, the entire area
of Dandong, a Chinese city just across North Korea, will be under
special security measure. It is noteworthy because the measure was
activated amid the rising possibility that North Korean leader Kim
Jong-il may soon visit China. (Chosun)

MEDIA ANALYSIS
--------------

-N. Korea
---------
All ROK media gave wide coverage to President Lee Myungbak's Jan. 4
New Year's address, reporting that President Lee expressed his
desire for a "new turning point" in inter-Korean relations and
proposed establishing channels for dialogue between the two Koreas
in order to have talks on a regular basis. According to media
reports, President Lee also indicated his willingness to meet with
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, citing recent changes in the
North's attitude toward ties with Seoul.

Conservative Dong-a Ilbo interpreted President Lee's proposal for
dialogue channels as a positive response to North Korea's suggestion
to improve ties between the countries which was reported in special
New Year's editorials in North Korean newspapers on Jan. 1.

Conservative Chosun Ilbo quoted a key ruling camp official as
commenting yesterday that it would be possible for the two Koreas to
hold a summit in the first half of this year.

Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo editorialized: "In order to create a
new turning point in inter-Korean relations, North Korea should
promptly return to the Six-Party Talks. Only if progress is made in
denuclearization, will real dialogue and cooperation be possible
between the two Koreas. The North's return to the Six-Party Talks
should be the first step toward advancing inter-Korean dialogue and
improving bilateral ties."

-Tougher Checks on Flights to U.S.
----------------------------------
All media reported on the U.S. decision to conduct full-body
pat-down searches of all U.S.-bound airline passengers traveling
from or via 14 "terror-linked" nations.

SEOUL 00000008 002 OF 002

Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "Terrorist acts of
killing innocent people can be justified under no circumstances. In
this regard, it is very important to share intelligence on terrorism
and to tighten security measures at airports. However, what is more
important is to remove the environment that fosters terrorism. No
matter how enhanced airport security checks and international
cooperation become, they have their own limitations to preventing
terrorism. ... If the U.S. stops military intervention in
Afghanistan and allows Afghans to decide their own destiny, it would
help remove the calls of the Taliban and al-Qaeda for a holy war
against the U.S."

OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
--------------------

PROMOTING PEACE IS THE (BEST) LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST TERRORISM
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 5, 2010, Page 31)

As the new year begins, the international community remains caught
in the nightmare of terrorism. On Christmas Day, a terrorist was
arrested on a U.S.-bound airliner, and then an estimated 10 people
were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a CIA base in
Afghanistan. The U.S. and Great Britain have tentatively closed
their embassies in Yemen due to warnings of terrorist threats. As
security searches of U.S.-bound passengers are intensified, airports
around the world suffer due to delayed flight schedules. There is a
growing concern that international terrorism, which was on the wane
for a while, is once again thriving.

Terrorist acts of killing innocent people can be justified under no
circumstances. In this regard, it is very important to share
intelligence on terrorism and to tighten security measures at
airports. However, what is more important is to remove the
environment that fosters terrorism. No matter how enhanced airport
security checks and international cooperation become, they have
their own limitations to preventing terrorism.

In this case, we need to look at why the terrorist threat level has
risen recently. U.S. President Barack Obama pledged that he would
walk a different path than his predecessor, George Bush, who adopted
a military policy in prioritizing the war on terror that included a
scorched earth policy. Obama clarified that he would pull out of
Iraq and seek a relationship of coexistence, not confrontation, with
Islam. This attitude brought hope to all of a slightly more
peaceful world.

Obama's decision during his first year of his administration to
boost troop strength in Afghanistan, however, has poured cold water
on these hopes. No matter how many troops are sent, it will be hard
to end a war while holding hands with a corrupt and incompetent
Afghanistan government and an unstable Pakistani government. On the
contrary, in this situation, there is the great danger that U.S.
efforts could be encouraging the growth of the rebel Taliban forces
and the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Local media
outlets are reporting that anti-government youth are joining
anti-American organizations in great numbers and becoming
terrorists.

To root out terrorism, this situation has to be transformed. If the
U.S. stops military intervention in Afghanistan and allows Afghans
to decide their own destiny, it would help remove the calls of the
Taliban and al-Qaeda for a holy war against the U.S. Obama argues
that there is justification for a war to protect the peace, but only
peace stops terrorism.

(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is
identical to the Korean version.)

STEPHENS

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