Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SEOUL3720
2006-10-30 09:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Seoul
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHUL #3720/01 3030944 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 300944Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1018 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1434 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 8280 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE PRIORITY 5479 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1528 RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/COMUSFK SEOUL KOR PRIORITY RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OSD/ISA/EAP// PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 003720
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO ISN, T AND EAP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC KNNP KS KN
SUBJECT: SEOUL DEBATES PSI
REF: A. SEOUL 2989
B. STATE 131944
C. SEOUL 2779
Classified By: DCM BILL STANTON. REASONS: 1.4 (b/d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 003720
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO ISN, T AND EAP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC KNNP KS KN
SUBJECT: SEOUL DEBATES PSI
REF: A. SEOUL 2989
B. STATE 131944
C. SEOUL 2779
Classified By: DCM BILL STANTON. REASONS: 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: The ROK government and National Assembly
are engaged in a sharply divided debate over whether to
increase support for the Proliferation Security Initiative
(PSI),and if so with what caveats. Post expects a decision
soon, but nearly all sides appear to agree that regardless of
the eventual level of ROK participation in PSI, South Korea
should not risk confrontation with the North by allowing, or
participating in, the direct interdiction of DPRK vessels
within Korean waters. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) The Government of South Korea sent a three-person
inter-agency team to observe the October 29-31 LEADING EDGE
PSI exercise in the Persian Gulf. Led by Kim Jae-woo, Deputy
Director of the Disarmament and Nonproliferation Division of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT),the team
included representatives from the Maritime Police Agency and
National Intelligence Service. Although Seoul made the
decision to send an observer team back in August 2006, their
presence in Bahrain this week generated front page headlines
in Korean newspapers. That is because the question of
whether the ROK should join PSI has become a hotly contested
domestic political issue in the aftermath of the October 9,
2006 North Korean nuclear test. Comments about possible
South Korean participation in PSI -- delivered by the
Secretary during both her October 14-15 visit to Seoul and
SIPDIS
October 25 speech at the Heritage Foundation -- and echoed
during an October 27 speech the Ambassador gave at Yonsei
University's journalism school, have served to keep the issue
on the front pages in South Korea under headlines such as:
"US Urges Seoul to Join PSI (The Korean Times Saturday/Sunday
October 28-29).
3. (C) Park Chul-min, Director of MOFAT's Disarmament and
Nonproliferation Division confirmed to the POL-MIL Chief on
October 30 that there has been no change as yet in ROK policy
toward PSI, but it was possible the ROK might increase its
support for the nonproliferation initiative in the near
future because Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon had revealed to
him that the issue was "under very active review" within the
ROK government.
4. (C) Blue House contacts have independently told the
Embassy there have been heated interagency discussions over
the past few days -- some chaired by President Roh -- over
ROK participation in PSI. The latest such meeting occurred
on Sunday October 29, according to Park. He said a final
interagency decision has yet to be made, but added he
believed it would be made before long. Park said his
division had been busy this week working to overcome what he
described as the misunderstandings of some parliamentary
members and media figures about the true nature of PSI.
5. (C) The main stumbling block to Seoul's full
participation is strong opposition from ruling Uri Party
legislators in the National Assembly. Post believes the Blue
House is trying to convince these legislators that South
Korea must be more forthcoming on PSI participation, but
opponents appear to be putting up a vigorous fight over
concerns voiced by Deputy Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan at
an October 27 parliamentary hearing that PSI operations in
waters around the Korean Peninsula have a high probability of
sparking armed conflict with the DPRK.
6. (C) Taking the pulse of Uri Party members at the National
Assembly on October 30, POL Internal Chief heard that Yu's
statement reflected the Uri Party's strong stance that it
could not support South Korea's full participation in PSI.
Leading Uri members Choi Jae-cheon and Song Yong-gil said
that while they could not support full participation, they
might be able to support increased participation of some sort
in view of the DPRK nuclear test. While many conservative
Grand National Party members are calling for full
participation in PSI, reform-minded GNP representative Won
Hee-ryong echoed a similar view to that voiced by the Uri
Party. Senior Presidential Security Advisor Song Min-soon
appeared to be trying to address such concerns when he
assured the National Assembly on October 27 that the
Government of South Korea would decide what steps to take to
expand its role in the PSI "under the position that it will
never take a measure leading to a sea blockade of North
Korea."
VERSHBOW
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO ISN, T AND EAP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC KNNP KS KN
SUBJECT: SEOUL DEBATES PSI
REF: A. SEOUL 2989
B. STATE 131944
C. SEOUL 2779
Classified By: DCM BILL STANTON. REASONS: 1.4 (b/d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: The ROK government and National Assembly
are engaged in a sharply divided debate over whether to
increase support for the Proliferation Security Initiative
(PSI),and if so with what caveats. Post expects a decision
soon, but nearly all sides appear to agree that regardless of
the eventual level of ROK participation in PSI, South Korea
should not risk confrontation with the North by allowing, or
participating in, the direct interdiction of DPRK vessels
within Korean waters. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) The Government of South Korea sent a three-person
inter-agency team to observe the October 29-31 LEADING EDGE
PSI exercise in the Persian Gulf. Led by Kim Jae-woo, Deputy
Director of the Disarmament and Nonproliferation Division of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT),the team
included representatives from the Maritime Police Agency and
National Intelligence Service. Although Seoul made the
decision to send an observer team back in August 2006, their
presence in Bahrain this week generated front page headlines
in Korean newspapers. That is because the question of
whether the ROK should join PSI has become a hotly contested
domestic political issue in the aftermath of the October 9,
2006 North Korean nuclear test. Comments about possible
South Korean participation in PSI -- delivered by the
Secretary during both her October 14-15 visit to Seoul and
SIPDIS
October 25 speech at the Heritage Foundation -- and echoed
during an October 27 speech the Ambassador gave at Yonsei
University's journalism school, have served to keep the issue
on the front pages in South Korea under headlines such as:
"US Urges Seoul to Join PSI (The Korean Times Saturday/Sunday
October 28-29).
3. (C) Park Chul-min, Director of MOFAT's Disarmament and
Nonproliferation Division confirmed to the POL-MIL Chief on
October 30 that there has been no change as yet in ROK policy
toward PSI, but it was possible the ROK might increase its
support for the nonproliferation initiative in the near
future because Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon had revealed to
him that the issue was "under very active review" within the
ROK government.
4. (C) Blue House contacts have independently told the
Embassy there have been heated interagency discussions over
the past few days -- some chaired by President Roh -- over
ROK participation in PSI. The latest such meeting occurred
on Sunday October 29, according to Park. He said a final
interagency decision has yet to be made, but added he
believed it would be made before long. Park said his
division had been busy this week working to overcome what he
described as the misunderstandings of some parliamentary
members and media figures about the true nature of PSI.
5. (C) The main stumbling block to Seoul's full
participation is strong opposition from ruling Uri Party
legislators in the National Assembly. Post believes the Blue
House is trying to convince these legislators that South
Korea must be more forthcoming on PSI participation, but
opponents appear to be putting up a vigorous fight over
concerns voiced by Deputy Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan at
an October 27 parliamentary hearing that PSI operations in
waters around the Korean Peninsula have a high probability of
sparking armed conflict with the DPRK.
6. (C) Taking the pulse of Uri Party members at the National
Assembly on October 30, POL Internal Chief heard that Yu's
statement reflected the Uri Party's strong stance that it
could not support South Korea's full participation in PSI.
Leading Uri members Choi Jae-cheon and Song Yong-gil said
that while they could not support full participation, they
might be able to support increased participation of some sort
in view of the DPRK nuclear test. While many conservative
Grand National Party members are calling for full
participation in PSI, reform-minded GNP representative Won
Hee-ryong echoed a similar view to that voiced by the Uri
Party. Senior Presidential Security Advisor Song Min-soon
appeared to be trying to address such concerns when he
assured the National Assembly on October 27 that the
Government of South Korea would decide what steps to take to
expand its role in the PSI "under the position that it will
never take a measure leading to a sea blockade of North
Korea."
VERSHBOW