KOREAN PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001496 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2014 TAGS: MOPS PGOV PREL IZ KS SUBJECT: KOREAN PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ REF: STATE 69103 Classified By: PolMil Chief Sung Kim. Reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. ¶2. (C) On May 3, PolMil Chief delivered reftel message on the Iraq PRT initiative to Min Kyong-ho, Director of North America Division III, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT). Undertaking to report the follow-up request to relevant offices in MOFAT and the Ministry of Defense (MND), Min noted that the ROKG will dispatch an interagency fact-finding team to Iraq to learn more about PRT/RRT operations. Led by MOFAT DDG Lim Sung-nam, the seven-person delegation will include MND DDG for International Defense Policy Choi Jong-il and officials from NSC and the intelligence service. During their May 9-14 visit, the team plans to have consultations with MNF-I and PRT/RRT officials in Baghdad and Irbil and to observe current PRT operations in Mosul. Highlighting the importance of the survey mission to the ROKG's deliberations, Min requested the USG's full support for the team's transportation requirements, including an armored bus in Baghdad and appropriate transportation between the three locations. ¶3. (C) Action Request: We understand the delegation's transportation requirements have already been conveyed to CENTCOM and MNF-I. We would appreciate the Department's support for the request. MINTON