Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SEOUL502
2006-02-14 06:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Seoul
Cable title:
KOREA MOVING SLOWLY TO RATIFY UNESCO CULTURAL
how-toVZCZCXRO5884 PP RUEHAP RUEHFL RUEHGR RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHMJ RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHQU DE RUEHUL #0502 0450624 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 140624Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5992 INFO RUCNSCO/UNESCO COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SEOUL 000502
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - NOVO, IO/PPC - WILBUR
STATE ALSO FOR EB/TPP/MTA - CHASON AND EAP/K
PASS USTR FOR CUTLER AND KI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO KS
SUBJECT: KOREA MOVING SLOWLY TO RATIFY UNESCO CULTURAL
DIVERSITY CONVENTION: SOME MINISTRIES OPPOSE PACT
REF: STATE 19851
UNCLAS SEOUL 000502
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - NOVO, IO/PPC - WILBUR
STATE ALSO FOR EB/TPP/MTA - CHASON AND EAP/K
PASS USTR FOR CUTLER AND KI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO KS
SUBJECT: KOREA MOVING SLOWLY TO RATIFY UNESCO CULTURAL
DIVERSITY CONVENTION: SOME MINISTRIES OPPOSE PACT
REF: STATE 19851
1. (SBU) According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (MOFAT),Korea has not yet initiated domestic
procedures for ratifying the UNESCO Cultural Diversity
Convention, despite having signed the agreement.
2. (SBU) Kim Eun-jeong, Deputy Director of MOFAT's Cultural
Cooperation Division, told Econoff February 14 that the
Ministry of Culture and Tourism is pressing to begin the
interagency process necessary for the ROKG to submit the
Convention to the National Assembly for approval. However,
she said that the procedure is being slowed because "several
ministries" (which she did not name) oppose the agreement
and do not wish Korea to ratify it. She added that a
meeting of related ministers must be convened to approve
initiating the ratification process; although the meeting is
not yet scheduled, she expected it to happen "soon." Kim
also noted that the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE)
would take charge of the process, and of implementing the
agreement should it be ratified, despite the Culture and
Tourism Ministry being the nominal lead agency up to this
point.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: In response to reftel, Post firmly
believes that an anti-Convention public diplomacy campaign
in Korea would be very counterproductive. There is a vocal
segment of the Korean political and cultural class that
avidly supports the agreement and sees it as a bulwark for
opposing the government's recent decision to halve the quota
for the mandatory screening of domestic movies. We note
that there is already a rear-guard action underway by some
ministries to delay or kill Korea's ratification. These
agencies are undoubtedly using the current lull in public
and media attention concerning the Convention (aside from
pro-Convention stalwarts) to defend Korea's trade interests
in a quiet fashion. An active public campaign against the
agreement would inevitably paint any ministry that opposes
the agreement as simply kow-towing to U.S. pressure, thus
undermining its ability to effectively work against
ratification.
VERSHBOW
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR IO/UNESCO - NOVO, IO/PPC - WILBUR
STATE ALSO FOR EB/TPP/MTA - CHASON AND EAP/K
PASS USTR FOR CUTLER AND KI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD SCUL UNESCO KS
SUBJECT: KOREA MOVING SLOWLY TO RATIFY UNESCO CULTURAL
DIVERSITY CONVENTION: SOME MINISTRIES OPPOSE PACT
REF: STATE 19851
1. (SBU) According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (MOFAT),Korea has not yet initiated domestic
procedures for ratifying the UNESCO Cultural Diversity
Convention, despite having signed the agreement.
2. (SBU) Kim Eun-jeong, Deputy Director of MOFAT's Cultural
Cooperation Division, told Econoff February 14 that the
Ministry of Culture and Tourism is pressing to begin the
interagency process necessary for the ROKG to submit the
Convention to the National Assembly for approval. However,
she said that the procedure is being slowed because "several
ministries" (which she did not name) oppose the agreement
and do not wish Korea to ratify it. She added that a
meeting of related ministers must be convened to approve
initiating the ratification process; although the meeting is
not yet scheduled, she expected it to happen "soon." Kim
also noted that the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE)
would take charge of the process, and of implementing the
agreement should it be ratified, despite the Culture and
Tourism Ministry being the nominal lead agency up to this
point.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: In response to reftel, Post firmly
believes that an anti-Convention public diplomacy campaign
in Korea would be very counterproductive. There is a vocal
segment of the Korean political and cultural class that
avidly supports the agreement and sees it as a bulwark for
opposing the government's recent decision to halve the quota
for the mandatory screening of domestic movies. We note
that there is already a rear-guard action underway by some
ministries to delay or kill Korea's ratification. These
agencies are undoubtedly using the current lull in public
and media attention concerning the Convention (aside from
pro-Convention stalwarts) to defend Korea's trade interests
in a quiet fashion. An active public campaign against the
agreement would inevitably paint any ministry that opposes
the agreement as simply kow-towing to U.S. pressure, thus
undermining its ability to effectively work against
ratification.
VERSHBOW