(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