(S) ROKG NEXT STEPS ON SEIZED SYRIA-BOUND STEEL

S E C R E T SEOUL 002271 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP AND ISN/MTR (JAMES MAYES). E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2017 TAGS: PARM MTCRE PREL ETTC KS SY CH SUBJECT: (S) ROKG NEXT STEPS ON SEIZED SYRIA-BOUND STEEL AWAITING PRC INVESTIGATION RESULTS REF: A. SECSTATE 104089 ¶B. SEOUL 2026 Classified By: A/DCM Joseph Y. Yun, Reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (S) On July 27, poloff delivered reftel A demarche to Kim Jae-woo, Deputy Director of the Disarmament and Nonproliferation Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Kim said that the ROKG, through the ROK Embassy in Beijing, had requested that the Chinese government investigate the Chinese company involved for possible export violations. The ROKG's decision to hold the seized cargo or return it to the exporter in China would depend primarily on the results of the Chinese government's investigation, he said. Kim indicated that he was expecting to receive the response from the ROK Embassy in Beijing within the next week or two. Kim agreed that the seized shipment of steel could contribute to Syria's weapons development program and said he would consult with Korean Customs and other relevant ROKG agencies about sharing technical specification and shipping manifest documentation with the United States. STANTON