DEMARCHE DELIVERED: IRANIAN PROCUREMENT OF

S E C R E T SEOUL 003993 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2056 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC IR SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: IRANIAN PROCUREMENT OF POTASSIUM BIFLOURIDE FROM YOLIN TECH REF: STATE 187236 Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (S) On November 17 poloff delivered reftel points to Kim, Jae-Woo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT)'s Disarmament and Nonproliferation Division. Kim said this was the first he had heard of the May 2006 incident and could not confirm the accuracy of the press reports. He agreed that the charges of document falsification against Yolin Tech seemed quite serious. However, he emphasized that MOFAT could not offer any guarantees about prosecution as the Prosecutor's Office held sole responsibility and would strongly resent outside interference. Kim was also unaware that President Bush had signed into law the inclusion of North Korea into the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act. Kim said he would research the issue and consult with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy (MOCIE) to determine the current status of the case against Yolin Tech. He promised to provide a response afterwards. VERSHBOW