MONTHLY REPORT -- SEOUL BUREAU -- MARCH 1988

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 11, 2013
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: April 5, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
Monthly Report -- Seoul Bureau
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DATE March 1988
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RECEIVED
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
SEOUL BUREAU
!//ll\ll
FBIS
5 April 1988
FBIS-5610-88
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH: Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT: Monthly Report -- Seoul Bureau -- March 1988
In a last-ditch effort to unify the opposition before the coming
National Assembly elections, Kim Tae-chung resigned as president of the
Party for Peace and Democracy on 17 March. The motives for his resignation
and his conditions for unifying the opposition almost immediately came
under attack from Reunification Democratic Party members, and unity talks
broke down shortly thereafter. The opposition is now headed for the 26
April National Assembly elections as divided as it was for the recent
presidential election.
The three major parties faced internal difficulties with the
return to the system of one assemblyman for each electoral district as
incumbent legislators were either dropped from party lists or saw their
safe seats threatened by stronger opponents. Meanwhile, both the
opposition and the ruling party were planning strategies to make the most
of the revelations of irregularities in the semi-official Saemaul movement
under the previous regime.
A. Editorial/Monitorial
1. Bureau publishable wordage for March reached a new all-time
record high of 791,110. Along with the increased productivity of
English-language sources, an indicator of the relaxation of press
restraints in South Korea, the Chinese unit made a major contribution to
the new record, accounting for 55 percent of the translated wordage.
2. Items from two Korean-language PRC regional papers were
processed for the first time during the month and the Bureau and MOD
agreed on sourcelines for four such papers. The papers are acquired by the
U.S. Consulate General in Shenyang and mailed to the Bureau. The papers
are sent an to NEAD after Bureau exploitation, following a procedure
previously established.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
3. Due to continued interference on the frequencies for the
North's clandestine Voice of National Salvation in Korean to South Korea,
the 30-minute morning English-language program of VNS has been added to
coverage. Interference during the English-language portion of the VNS
broadcasts apparently ceased some time in February. The Bureau was tipped
off to this development by cruising reports from Okinawa Bureau.
4. With the aid of materia sent from Bangkok and Okinawa
Bureaus, Senior Editor has been setting the groundwork for
the Bureau's first editoriai ra nee, who is scheduled to arrive in
mid-April.
B. Communications
1. On 15 March the Taegu Automated Switching center disconnected
the Bureau's Mode V autodin (SA3C) circuit, thus putting an end to the
primary backstop. Until such time as the international direct dialing
system backup is deemed workable on a day-to-day basis, the Bureau will
rely on the telex as the backstop for primary circuit outages.
2. On 17 March a direct commercial telephone line was installed.
Now the Bureau is able to put through and receive calls directly,
bypassing the Embassy switchboard. Subsequent to this, a successful IDD
modem test was conducted with Okinawa Bureau on 24 March. Further tests
are planned to see if the previous problems experienced have been overcome
with the new telephone line and new software. The new telephone number is
738-0708.
C. Lateral Services
1. The Bureau relayed a request for drop copies of material on
the current Chinese National People's Congress from the Deputy Chief of
Mission in Seoul to Hong Kong and Okinawa Bureaus.
2. AG provided information concerning expected activities around
North Korean leader Kim I1-song's birthday in response to a request by the
local military psyops unit.
3. The Bureau processed two items from KULLOJA, one on a
priority basis, and the list of South Korean ruling party National
Assembly candidates in response to requests by Washington area consumers
relayed by Liaison and the DAILY REPORT.
4. Thanks to some careful detective work, Senior Editor
was able to untangle a knotty consumer request for Liaison
r ca ked down the consumer and called to find out exactly what the reques
entailed.
D. Technical
1. The Bureau received one DSI Model LRP 300 tape punch, s/n
018983; 4 low paper sensing arms for Extel comscribe IIIC printers; and 8
digital clock assemblies (Model 175A) for Stresearch audio select assembly
Model ST-112 from Headquarters.
STAT
STAT
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
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A. Personnel
At the end of the month, the Embassy notified the Bureau that the
long-awaited foreign national salary increase had been authorized. The
wage hike was due in 1987. This salary increase is somewhat unusual in
that the Embassy requested two separate increases and both were approved.
One is retroactive to July 1987 and the other to October 1987. For the
first time in several years the salaries of those in grades FBN-8 and
below are no longer frozen and they will receive an increase--a welcome
development indeed.
B. Security
A State Department diplomatic security team visited the Bureau on
21 March. After reviewing the situation, the team advised that the Bureau
would be in compliance with recently updated security regulations if the
door to the Bureau Chief's office were kept locked using the built-in Yale
key lock whenever no American staff member was physically present within.
Only a minor adjustment of current procedure was necessary.
1. William Gibson, Darryl Daharb, Katherine Beck, and John
Jarrell, members of a State Department diplomatic security team on a
regional inspection tour of the Embassy.
on their way o Ukinawa, on personal travel.
Chief, Seoul Bureau
Attachment:
Monthly Production Report
cc: Chief, Okinawa Bureau
Chief, Hong Kong Bureau
STAT
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH
TOTAL NON-I'UBL1:.SUABI,I? WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
lu'l:Ai. iii IiN B OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH:
791,110
152,880
1,909
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 13685.00 5510.00 127.69
(minutes or issues per week) mill min mill
1II. OUTPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
(publishable words per month)
(.; I,ANI)EC'II.Nl.
(Clandestine) Voice of National Salvation in
Korean to South Korea 14850
CII IINA
I',r?:i.:j:inr International Service in
Korean 4070
Brij :i.ng City Service in
Mandarin 0
Changchun Jilin Provincial Service in
Mandarin 3060
Harbin lleilonr;jiang Provincial Service in
Mandarin 7930
Ilehhot Hui Nonggo:l. Regional Service in
Mandarin 12640
.Ii ii:m Shandong Provincial Service in
i landa r:i.n 13850
Shenyang Liaoning Provincial Service in
Mandarin 11120
;Sri j:i_azhuang Hebei Provincial Service in
Mandarin 1800
Tianjin City Service in
Mandarin 11380
Beijing BEIJING R1.BAO in
Chinese 33320
Harbin IIlILONCJIANG RIL'AO in
Chinese 15750
Iluhhot NEl.IIEN000 RIBAO in
Chinese 10230
J:i.nan DAZIIONG RIBAO in
Chinese 41770
Shenyang DONGREI JINCJ:. GAO in
Chinese 0
Shenyang LIAONING RIBAO in
Chinese 34730
;h i j:i_azhcrang IIIPIEI RIJ3AO in
Chinese 24530
Tianjin TIAN J IN ]II]IAO in
C I I i.ur.-::;0
Harbin IIUNLN1'ONC(;ANC SINIIUN in
Korean
,;in j i c:IIOl.I(;UAI' C:MANGO in
V
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3
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KOREA (NORTH)
Pyongyang in Korean to South Korea in
Korean
Pyongyang Domestic Service in
Korean
Pyongyang Television Service in
Korean
Pyongyang KCNA in
English
Pyongyang KULLOJA in
korean
KOREA (Soul I)
Seoul Christian Broadcasting System Network in
korean
Seoul Domestic Service in
Korean
Seoul MBC Network in
Korean
Seoul MBC Television Network in
Korean
Seoul Television Service in
Korean
Seoul YONHAP in
English
Seoul. CIIOSON ILBO in
Korean
Seoul CHUANGANG ILBO in
Korean
Seoul Editorial Report on ROK Media in
Korean
Seoul HANGUK ILBO in
Korean
Seoul KYONGHYANG SINMUN in
Korean
Seoul`SEOUL SINMUN in
Korean
Seoul SINTONG-A in
Korean
Seoul THE KOREA HERALD in
English
Seoul THE KOREA TIMES in
English
Seoul TONG-A ILBO in
Korean
Seoul WOLGAN CHOSON in
Korean
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
Moscow International Service in
Koto in
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
0
4300
0
2000
0
79610
129050
3050
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400130009-3