NORTH KOREA TELLS ITALY U/S BOLTON SHOULD NOT

S E C R E T ROME 003570

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2013
TAGS: PREL PARM KN IT UN
SUBJECT: NORTH KOREA TELLS ITALY U/S BOLTON SHOULD NOT
ATTEND SIX-PARTY TALKS

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D)


1. (S) SUMMARY: DPRK AMBASSADOR TO ITALY CHOE TAEK-SAN
REQUESTED ITALY SUPPORT NORTH KOREA'S DEMAND THAT U/S BOLTON
NOT ATTEND UPCOMING SIX-PARTY TALKS. HE ALSO MENTIONED NORTH
KOREA DID NOT CURRENTLY POSSESS A NUCLEAR BOMB, ALTHOUGH
CONTINUED U.S. AGGRESSION WOULD FORCE IT TO CREATE ONE. THE
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT REJECTED HIS REQUEST AND EMPHASIZED NORTH
KOREA HAD NO NEED FOR A NUCLEAR BOMB. END SUMMARY


2. (S) MFA DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR EAST ASIA PAOLA MUNZI GAVE
POLOFF A READOUT AUGUST 5 OF A CONVERSATION WITH NORTH KOREAN
AMBASSADOR CHOE TAEK-SAN EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE AMBASSADOR
POPPED-IN UNEXPECTEDLY TO DISCUSS THE PLANNED SIX-PARTY
TALKS. ACCORDING TO MUNZI, THE AMBASSADOR FIRST CREDITED THE
NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT FOR PROPOSING THE TALKS AND THEIR
FORMAT, AND THEN REQUESTED ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR NORTH KOREA'S
DEMAND THAT U/S BOLTON NOT ATTEND. AMBASSADOR CHOE EXPLAINED
THAT THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN OFFENDED BY U/S
BOLTON'S RECENT SPEECH IN SEOUL AND COULD NOT BEAR THE
HUMILIATION IF HE WAS PRESENT AT THE TALKS. CHOE ALSO TOLD
MUNZI NORTH KOREA DID NOT YET HAVE A NUCLEAR BOMB, BUT DID
HAVE MATERIAL AT HAND TO ASSEMBLE ONE AND WOULD FEEL
OBLIGATED TO DO SO IF THE U.S. CONTINUED TO THREATEN NORTH
KOREA.


3. (S) CHOE REPORTEDLY TOLD MUNZI THE DPRK DESIRED A
DENUCLEARIZED KOREAN PENINSULA, WITH NO AMERICAN STRATEGIC
NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN SOUTH KOREA. THE AMBASSADOR ALSO
SUGGESTED THE U.S. SHOULD REFRAIN FROM CARRYING OUT ANY
MILITARY EXERCISES OR SENDING ADDITIONAL PLANES TO SOUTH
KOREA IN ADVANCE OF THE TALKS, AS MILITARY ACTIONS BY THE
U.S. COULD PREJUDICE THE OUTCOME. CHOE THEN REITERATED THAT
U/S BOLTON'S PARTICIPATION WOULD ALSO CREATE AN UNFAVORABLE
ENVIRONMENT.


4. (S) MUNZI TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE DPRK COULD NOT
CHOOSE WHO WOULD SIT IN THE U.S. DELEGATION, AS THE
INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENTS WOULD SET THE NEGOTIATING TEAMS. SHE
ALSO QUESTIONED THE DPRK'S NEED FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS, NOTING
NORTH KOREA'S LARGE ARMY PROVIDED ASSURANCE THAT NO ONE WOULD
ATTACK. SHOULD ANYONE BE SO FOOLISH AS TO DO SO ANYWAY, DPRK
ARTILLERY COULD DESTROY SEOUL. MUNZI SAID AMBASSADOR CHOE
AVOIDED DISCUSSING THE ARMY AND REITERATED THAT THE DPRK WAS
VERY WILLING TO NEGOTIATE IF U/S BOLTON WAS NOT AT THE TALKS.
MUNZI DESCRIBED THE AMBASSADOR AS ALMOST MAKING THE TALKS
CONTINGENT ON U/S BOLTON'S (NON)-PARTICIPATION, BUT NEVER
EXPRESSLY SAYING IT WAS A REDLINE.


5. (S) AMBASSADOR CHOE TOLD MUNZI RELATIONS BETWEEN SOUTH
AND NORTH KOREA HAD COOLED RECENTLY, AND THE APPARENT SUICIDE
OF HYUNDAI HEIR CHUNG MONG-HUN WAS PROBABLY A POLITICALLY
MOTIVATED MURDER BY ANTI-DPRK FORCES, OR PART OF A LARGER
POLITICAL PLOT TO IMPEDE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE
SOUTH.


6. (S) MUNZI TOLD POLOFF THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT DID NOT
SUPPORT THE NORTH KOREAN REQUEST. IN AN ASIDE, HOWEVER, SHE
DID MENTION THAT IF U/S BOLTON DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE
PLANNED TALKS, NORTH KOREA COULD NOT CLAIM HIS PRESENCE HAD
FOILED NEGOTIATIONS AND ATTENTION WOULD FOCUS ON THE NORTH
KOREAN GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH.
POLOFF THANKED MUNZI FOR ITALY'S RESPONSE, NOTED THE NORTH
KOREAN GOVERNMENT DID NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF NEGOTIATING IN
GOOD FAITH, AND POINTED OUT THE USG WOULD APPOINT ITS
DELEGATION AS IT SAW FIT.
SEMBLER

NNNN
2003ROME03570 - Classification: SECRET