ROK READOUT OF NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SONG

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 017957 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: AFTER KOREAN UNIFICATION TAGS: PREL MNUC KNNP CH KN KS SUBJECT: ROK READOUT OF NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SONG MIN-SOON'S VISIT TO BEIJING CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL EXTERNAL UNIT CHIEF EDGARD KAGAN. REASONS 1.4 (B/D). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) ROK NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SONG MIN-SOON'S AUGUST 24-25 VISIT TO BEIJING FOCUSED ON PLANNING FOR ROK PRESIDENT ROH'S OCTOBER VISIT AS WELL AS DISCUSSING NORTH KOREA. AN ROK EMBASSY OFFICER STRESSED THAT BOTH SIDES LOOK TO PRESIDENT ROH'S VISIT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN BILATERAL RELATIONS. SONG URGED THAT BEIJING USE ITS INFLUENCE TO PERSUADE NORTH KOREA TO RETURN TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE, TO WHICH HIS PRC COUNTERPARTS SAID BEIJING WILL TRY, BUT FEELS ITS INFLUENCE IS LIMITED IN THE WAKE OF UNSCR 1695. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) ROK EMBASSY POLITICAL OFFICER KIM GUNN, ACTING ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM HIS AMBASSADOR, CALLED POLOFF AUGUST 25 TO PROVIDE A VERY PRELIMINARY READOUT ON ROK NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SONG MIN SOON'S VISIT TO BEIJING, NOTING THAT THE ROK WOULD BRIEF IN MORE DETAIL IN SEOUL AND WASHINGTON. ARRIVING IN THE EVENING OF AUGUST 24, SONG MET WITH FOREIGN MINISTER LI ZHAOXING FOR HALF-AN-HOUR AND HAD AN EIGHTY-MINUTE LUNCH WITH VFM WU DAWEI ON AUGUST 25. KIM RELATED THAT THE OVERALL IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE MEETINGS WERE TOO SHORT AND THAT BOTH SIDES FELT CONSTRAINED BY THE LIMITED TIME. KIM SAID SONG REGRETS THAT HIS BUSY SCHEDULE DID NOT ALLOW ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE DISCUSSIONS. KIM RELATED THAT SONG DISCUSSED TWO MAIN TOPICS IN HIS MEETINGS: THE VISIT OF ROK PRESIDENT ROH IN OCTOBER AND NORTH KOREA. ¶3. (C) REGARDING PRESIDENT ROH'S UPCOMING VISIT, KIM SAID THAT BOTH SIDES AGREED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING A SUCCESSFUL VISIT IN ORDER TO IMPROVE BILATERAL RELATIONS. KIM SUMMARIZED THAT SONG EXPRESSED THE ROK'S BELIEF THAT PRESIDENT ROH'S VISIT WOULD IMPROVE BILATERAL RELATIONS AND LOOK FOR WAYS TO RESOLVE NORTH KOREA ISSUE IN ORDER TO ADVANCE THE FUTURE OF NORTHEAST ASIAN RELATIONS. KIM SUMMARIZED THE PRC MESSAGE AS WELCOMING PRESIDENT ROH'S VISIT AND HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TIMING, AS 2007 IS BOTH THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRC-ROK DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY THE SOUTH KOREANS AS THE YEAR FOR CHINA-SOUTH KOREAN EXCHANGE. ¶4. (C) KIM RELATED THAT BOTH SIDES EXCHANGED THEIR ASSESSMENTS ON NORTH KOREA, WITH SONG STRESSING THE ROK VIEW THAT THE SITUATION IS VERY SERIOUS. KIM SAID THAT SONG URGED THE PRC TO USE ITS INFLUENCE OVER PYONGYANG TO "STRONGLY" PERSUADE NORTH KOREA TO MAKE A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE DIALOGUE. THE PRC RESPONDED THAT NORTH KOREA IS UNHAPPY WITH CHINA AS WELL AS WITH UNSCR 1695. KIM RELATED THAT PRC OFFICIALS TOLD SONG THAT THIS NORTH KOREAN UNHAPPINESS WILL MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR BEIJING TO PERSUADE NORTH KOREA AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER, THEY ASSURED SONG THAT CHINA WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO GET NORTH KOREA TO RETURN TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. SONG AFFIRMED THAT THE ROK WILL ALSO MAKE EVERY EFFORT, ACCORDING TO KIM. SEDNEY