Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SEOUL3008
2006-08-31 09:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Seoul
Cable title:  

ROK LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE IN LEBANON; RENEW IN IRAQ

Tags:  PARM PREL MARR PGOV KS 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #3008 2430938
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 310938Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0032
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1159
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1233
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OSD/ISA/EAP// PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J2 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J3 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA SCJS SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 003008 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL MARR PGOV KS
SUBJECT: ROK LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE IN LEBANON; RENEW IN IRAQ


Classified By: A/DCM Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 003008

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2014
TAGS: PARM PREL MARR PGOV KS
SUBJECT: ROK LIKELY TO CONTRIBUTE IN LEBANON; RENEW IN IRAQ


Classified By: A/DCM Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (SBU) Summary: On August 31, POL-MIL Chief met with
Ministry of National Defense (MND) officials during a round
of courtesy calls and asked about the status of deliberations
on ROK troop commitments to UNIFIL and Iraq. Several MND
officials stated that the ROK will likely contribute a 30-40
person medical team to UNIFIL. They also indicated the ROKG
will renew its troops in Iraq, but with further reductions
likely in its contingent. Both actions will require approval
by the National Assembly, but Defense Committee members from
both the ruling and opposition party told the Embassy during
meetings earlier in the week that both proposals would likely
pass. End Summary.

--------------
ROK UNIFIL Contribution: Medical Team
--------------


2. (SBU) Kim, Jung-sup, Director for International Policy
Division, commented that the ROKG is "cautious" about
contributing to UNIFIL because of security concerns in
Lebanon. Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung is scheduled to
meet with other South Korean government ministers on August
31 to discuss the ROK contribution to UNIFIL, Kim said,
adding that a formal decision is likely to be made by early
September. Kim said the ROKG will likely send a team to
Lebanon to assess the situation on the ground before the
final decision is made. He opined that the National Assembly
is likely to approve this contribution to UNIFIL, but
cautioned that the approval process will be time consuming.



3. (C) In a separate meeting, COL Chun In-bum, Director of
MND's American Policy Division, predicted the ROK's UNIFIL
contribution will be limited to a team of 30 to 40 nurses and
doctors, "not a battalion level unit as desired by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade," Chun said.

-------------- ---
ROK Iraq Contribution: To Be Renewed But Reduced
-------------- ---


4. (SBU) Turning to Iraq, COL Chun stated that ROK troops in
Irbil will be reduced to 2,700 by the end of 2006, followed
by an expected further reduction to 1,300 in 2007. Chun
commented that MND plans to request an extension for its
troops in Iraq in November. He added that the Korean
business community strongly supports a continued ROK presence
in Iraq as a potentially rewarding investment in future
economic relations with that country.


5. (SBU) In meetings at the National Assembly on August 28th,
Kim Hak-song, Vice Chair of the Defense Committee and a
member of the opposition Grand National Party (GNP),stated
that the GNP supported ROK contributions to international
peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon and Iraq. While voicing less
support, Defense Committee Chair Yoo, Hak-kun of the ruling
URI party predicted that both of the aforementioned ROK
contributions to Lebanon and Iraq would "eventually" pass the
National Assembly, "but probably at the very last minute," as
was the case in 2005.
STANTON