RESPONSE RECEIVED: FOLLOWING UP ON U.S. PROPOSAL

UNCLAS SEOUL 001655 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC IR KS PARM PREL SUBJECT: RESPONSE RECEIVED: FOLLOWING UP ON U.S. PROPOSAL AT THE NUCLEAR SUPPLIER'S GROUP (NSG) PLENARY TO SHARE IRAN EXPORT DENIAL INFORMATION REF: STATE 69315 ¶1. (SBU) On May 22, poloff delivered reftel points, including the non-paper, to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) Disarmament and Non-Proliferation officer Youn Jong Kwon. A response was provided by Kwon on May 30 addressing the U.S. proposal "that Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Participating Governments agree to share their export denial information on Iran with the IAEA Secretariat, the UN Security Council Iran Sanctions Committee, and non-NSG states to facilitate the most effective implementation of UNSC Resolutions 1737 and 1747." ¶2. (SBU) Kwon noted that the ROKG was willing to share the requested information "on the condition that the ROK not be listed as a signatory on the June 4 letter to the IAEA." Because of the ROK's bilateral ties with Iran, he asked that the U.S. representative to the IAEA sign this letter on behalf of the collective of interested states. Kwon emphasized that the ROKG would appreciate advance notice if there would be a listing of the participating countries in this letter, as this would affect ROKG involvement. ¶3. (SBU) In accordance with reftel's suggested format, Kwon stated that one item had been denied export to Iran. The item denied was a Vacuum Induction Furnace (for Casting) (NR1.b.7). The procurement agent utilized was Seihawi Trading Co., United Arab Emirates. The intended end user was Mavadkaran Jahed Noavar Eng. Co., Iran. Kwon did not provide a reason for the denial but did say that "this is the ROKG's only denial case against Iran." VERSHBOW