ROKG SUPPORTS USG CLUSTER MUNITIONS POLICY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001329

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2017
TAGS: PARM MARR MCAP PREL KS
SUBJECT: ROKG SUPPORTS USG CLUSTER MUNITIONS POLICY

Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (C) On April 26 Acting DAS Frank J. Ruggiero met with
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) Senior
Coordinator for International Organizations Hwang Joon-kook
and Kim Jong-hoon, Deputy Director of the International
Disarmament Division of the Ministry of National Defense
(MND) to seek ROKG support of U.S. efforts to return the
international discussion on cluster munitions (CM) to the
Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) framework.
Acting DAS Ruggiero also informed the ROKG the United States
will attend the June 2007 CCW experts working group and is
considering a negotiating mandate on CM in the CCW. Director
Park Chul-min and Kim Hye-jin of MOFAT's Nonproliferation and
Disarmament Division also attended the meeting.


2. (C) Hwang noted that the ROKG shared USG concerns about
both humanitarian and military utility issues regarding CM.
Hwang stressed that it was very important to strike a
delicate balance between the two. Hwang said the ROKG shares
the U.S. position that the CCW is the proper forum to discuss
CM, and welcomed the U.S. willingness to consider a broad
negotiating mandate in the CCW.


3. (U) Acting DAS Ruggiero outlined U.S. views on any
agreement on CM, including: no restriction on CM used against
valid military targets; link CM reliability to "tested
functionality" only; tie the function rate requirement to
acquisitions of new types of CM; have a suitable transition
period for implementation; preserve the rights of storage in
forward deployed areas and to transship through territory of
agreement parties; and preserve the right of alliance members
to train and operate jointly.


4. (C) Hwang and Kim concurred that the ROKG requirements for
any international agreement would be similar to those of the
United States. In particular, both emphasized the ROKG need
for a suitable transition period and an agreement that tied
the function rate requirement to only new acquisitions. Kim
said the ROK military was not in a position to dismantle its
current CM stockpiles, prohibit CM production or development,
or replace their stockpiles with effective alternative weapon
systems for at least the next 20 years. Kim said that more
than 90 percent of the ROK military's CM stockpile are of the
"dumb" variety and the cost of retrofitting them would be
prohibitive. He noted, however, that the ROK military is
pursuing CM alternatives for the longer-term.


5. (C) While supporting the general U.S. position, the ROK
delegation pointed out three areas in which they believe
others' actions could undermine U.S. efforts:

-- Hwang warned that the United States' willingness to
consider a negotiating mandate in the CCW will be seen by
others as merely a delay tactic to counter the "Oslo
process," rather than a sincere attempt to address the CM
issue.

-- Park explained that some countries, notably the
Netherlands, were concerned that haste in pursuing an
agreement on CM in the CCW (likely resulting in a new
Protocol on CM) would shift attention away from
implementation of Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War.
Park said that the ROKG wants to see Protocol V fully
implemented as well.

-- Despite a lack of significant U.S. domestic political
pressure at present, Hwang felt that negative public opinion
in the U.S. could still develop, as it did in the landmine
issue, and put pressure on the USG to change their position
on CM.


6. (U) Acting DAS Ruggiero has cleared this message.
VERSHBOW