ROK HAS NO OBJECTION TO REFUGEE PROCESSING IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 003077 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2015 TAGS: PREF PREL KS KN RS SUBJECT: ROK HAS NO OBJECTION TO REFUGEE PROCESSING IN VIETNAM REF: STATE 146849 Classified By: POL Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) On September 6, poloff informed the ROKG that the USG will be discussing its interest in processing North Korean asylum seekers for U.S. resettlement on a case-by-case basis with the Government of Vietnam (GVN),to Yu Joon-ha, new Director of MOFAT's Inter-Korean Policy Division. Poloff said that the U.S. hoped that the ROKG would convey to the GVN that the ROKG has no objections to U.S. participation in the resettlement of North Koreans, if the GVN approaches the ROKG on this issue. ¶2. (C) Yu said that the ROKG policy on North Korean refugees remained that refugees should be given the chance to be resettled in accordance with their personal wishes, whether in the ROK or in a third country. Therefore, the ROKG does not object to the USG seeking an understanding with the GVN on North Korean refugees. Yu requested to be informed about the GVN response to the USG request. ¶3. (C) More generally, Yu, said that the ROK had accepted over 1,000 North Koreans refugees as of end-July, and would likely accept more than 2,000 during 2006. He also said that the ROKG was aware of growing numbers of North Korean refugees going to South East Asia recently. Yu cautioned that the number of North Korean refugees seeking to go to the United States could increase quickly if people learn that the USG is willing to process refugees in additional countries. Noting the ROKG's open door policy for North Korean refugees, he said that the ROKG was developing contingency plans in case the number of refugees seeking entry into the ROK were to increase significantly, but he provided no further information. VERSHBOW