Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
01HANOI2114
2001-08-28 08:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:  

VIETNAM PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO KOREA

Tags:  PREL ETRD KS VM ASEAN 
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2001HANOI02114 - CONFIDENTIAL
 
 
 
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 ------------------17979A 281029Z /38 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3794
INFO AMEMBASSY SEOUL 
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J-5/FPA//
C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002114 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/11
TAGS: PREL ETRD KS VM ASEAN
SUBJECT: VIETNAM PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO KOREA

REF: A. SEOUL 4639 B. HANOI 481

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002114

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/11
TAGS: PREL ETRD KS VM ASEAN
SUBJECT: VIETNAM PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO KOREA

REF: A. SEOUL 4639 B. HANOI 481


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES DENNIS
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 HANOI 02114 281005Z
HARTER, REASON: 1.5 (B) AND (D)


2. (C) PRESIDENT TRAN DUC LUONG'S VISIT TO THE
REPUBLIC OF KOREA RECEIVED EXTENSIVE AND USUALLY FRONT
PAGE COVERAGE IN THE VIETNAM PRESS, ADDING TO THE
GENERALLY FEEL-GOOD EMPHASIS IN BILATERAL RELATIONS
THAT HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY EVIDENT OVER THE PAST HALF-
DECADE. REF A PROVIDED AN EXCELLENT ACCOUNT OF HIS
MAJOR ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS THE TEXT OF THE JOINT
STATEMENT.


3. (C ) ROK EMBASSY POLITICAL COUNSELOR LEE YONG JOON
PROVIDED POL/C WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS INTO THE
PLANNING AND OBJECTIVES OF THE VISIT ON AUGUST 24. HE
CONFIRMED THAT THE VISIT WAS MORE AIMED AT PROTOCOL
THAN SUBSTANCE. PERHAPS THE TRICKIEST PART OF THE
PLANNING, HE SAID, WAS THE REFERENCE TO A
"COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP." VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS
INITIALLY WERE NERVOUS THAT THIS TERM WOULD ALIENATE
THE NORTH KOREANS AND COMPLICATE RELATIONS WITH
PYONGYANG, BUT EVENTUALLY CONCLUDED IT WAS WORTH THE
RISK. LEE CLAIMED THAT KIM DAE JUNG'S EXPRESSION OF
"CONDOLENCES" FOR LOSS OF LIFE DURING THE WAR WAS
KIM'S OWN INITIATIVE, OUT OF A MISREADING THAT THE
VIETNAMESE SOUGHT SUCH AN EXPRESSION OF REMORSE.
(COMMENT: THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE KOREANS HAVE
MADE A "SPONTANEOUS" AND "UNILATERAL" STATEMENT
REGARDING THE WAR. END COMMENT) HIS OWN
INTERPRETATION FROM HIS PLANNING DISCUSSIONS HERE IS
THAT THE VIETNAMESE SIDE TRULY WISHED TO SIDESTEP THE
HISTORICAL ISSUE ENTIRELY, PROBABLY OUT OF CONCERN
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PAGE 03 HANOI 02114 281005Z
THAT ITS OWN TREATMENT OF PRISONERS-OF-WAR COULD BE
USED AGAINST IT. HE NOTED THAT PRESIDENT LUONG HAD
NOT EVEN RESPONDED TO KIM'S STATEMENT.


4. ( C ) LUONG'S DELEGATION WAS SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL
GIVEN ITS INCLUSION OF A LARGE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE
BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES; THEIR PARTICIPATION ONLY
CAME UP SOMEWHAT LATE IN THE PREPARATORY PROCESS, LEE
SAID. THEIR PRESENCE AND THE NUMBER OF BUSINESS-
RELATED EVENTS ON HIS SCHEDULE WERE A CLEAR INDICATION
OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF THE
RELATIONSHIP. LEE NOTED THAT KOREAN COMPANIES
INCREASINGLY VIEWED VIETNAM AS THE MOST IMPORTANT
ASIAN SITE FOR OFFSHORE INVESTMENT FOR KOREA'S
ECONOMIC FUTURE, IN PARTICULAR TO COMPETE OVER THE
NEXT FIFTY YEARS WITH CHINA. HE CLAIMED THAT KOREAN
FIRMS REALIZE THAT SHORT-TERM PROFITS MAY BE NON-
EXISTENT OR FEW BUT HAD DECIDED THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL
FOR KOREAN BUSINESSES TO GET IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR.

HARTER

CONFIDENTIAL