Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SEOUL2560
2007-08-24 06:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Seoul
Cable title:
SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY VEHICLES SALE TO IRAN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0011 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHUL #2560 2360654 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 240654Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6211 INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0097 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 3028 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 1486 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 8525 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0091 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0953 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 8221 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1560 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3165
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 002560
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017
TAGS: PREL PARM PINS PTER MASS KS IR AF IZ
SUBJECT: SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY VEHICLES SALE TO IRAN
Classified By: A/DCM Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons: 1.4 (b/d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 002560
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017
TAGS: PREL PARM PINS PTER MASS KS IR AF IZ
SUBJECT: SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY VEHICLES SALE TO IRAN
Classified By: A/DCM Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons: 1.4 (b/d).
1. (C) During a meeting on August 23 with Park Chul-min,
Director of the Disarmament and Non-proliferation Division at
the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(MOFAT),Park inquired whether the U.S. Government would have
any objection to the following sale of Kia Motors vehicles to
the Government of Iran:
-- 1,000 0.25 ton "Jeep-like" vehicles. Kia Motors model
number: KM 420.
-- 1,000 1.25 ton heavy trucks. Kia Motors model number: KM
450.
2. (C) Meeting in his new, more spacious office --
indicating the rising importance of his division within the
MOFAT bureaucracy -- Director Park said the South Korean
government had been paying greater attention to military
sales, dual use, and end use non-proliferation concerns
around the world. He assured the POL-MIL Chief that South
Korea shares Washington's particular concern over developing
Iranian nuclear capabilities, and its support for terrorist
organizations. Owing to these concerns, Director Park said
that Iran is now on a watch list generated by the ROK Defense
Acquisition Program Act. For that reason the Kia Motors sale
has undergone the scrutiny of the Korean government, Park
explained.
3. (C) Director Park went on to say that after carefully
reviewing the proposed sale, MOFAT's preliminary assessment
was that Kia Motors should be allowed to sell the vehicles to
Iran because the sale did not violate any provisions within
the global export control regime. Furthermore, he said the
vehicles were not going to Iran's military, but rather to the
Iranian border police, adding that they intend to use the
vehicles to protect Iran's eastern border area from illegal
immigrants and illicit trafficking. Finally, similar
vehicles are produced by many other countries, some of whom
would be happy to sell their own versions of those vehicles
to the Iranians if Kia Motors is denied the sale. Director
Park said the ROK plans to make its final decision within the
next two weeks. He asked to be informed of any U.S.
Government concerns within that time frame.
4. (C) EMBASSY COMMENT: Post leaves it to the department's
experts on Iran to consider any relevant concerns. Unless
there are concerns, no reply is necessary, as the sale will
simply go through at the end of the two week period described
by Director Park. Post has, however, expressed USG
appreciation to MOFAT for its sensitivity to our serious
security concerns about Iran, as well as for its beefed-up
efforts to scrutinize all such sales to Iran and its
willingness to share that information with the U.S.
Government.
VERSHBOW
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017
TAGS: PREL PARM PINS PTER MASS KS IR AF IZ
SUBJECT: SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY VEHICLES SALE TO IRAN
Classified By: A/DCM Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons: 1.4 (b/d).
1. (C) During a meeting on August 23 with Park Chul-min,
Director of the Disarmament and Non-proliferation Division at
the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(MOFAT),Park inquired whether the U.S. Government would have
any objection to the following sale of Kia Motors vehicles to
the Government of Iran:
-- 1,000 0.25 ton "Jeep-like" vehicles. Kia Motors model
number: KM 420.
-- 1,000 1.25 ton heavy trucks. Kia Motors model number: KM
450.
2. (C) Meeting in his new, more spacious office --
indicating the rising importance of his division within the
MOFAT bureaucracy -- Director Park said the South Korean
government had been paying greater attention to military
sales, dual use, and end use non-proliferation concerns
around the world. He assured the POL-MIL Chief that South
Korea shares Washington's particular concern over developing
Iranian nuclear capabilities, and its support for terrorist
organizations. Owing to these concerns, Director Park said
that Iran is now on a watch list generated by the ROK Defense
Acquisition Program Act. For that reason the Kia Motors sale
has undergone the scrutiny of the Korean government, Park
explained.
3. (C) Director Park went on to say that after carefully
reviewing the proposed sale, MOFAT's preliminary assessment
was that Kia Motors should be allowed to sell the vehicles to
Iran because the sale did not violate any provisions within
the global export control regime. Furthermore, he said the
vehicles were not going to Iran's military, but rather to the
Iranian border police, adding that they intend to use the
vehicles to protect Iran's eastern border area from illegal
immigrants and illicit trafficking. Finally, similar
vehicles are produced by many other countries, some of whom
would be happy to sell their own versions of those vehicles
to the Iranians if Kia Motors is denied the sale. Director
Park said the ROK plans to make its final decision within the
next two weeks. He asked to be informed of any U.S.
Government concerns within that time frame.
4. (C) EMBASSY COMMENT: Post leaves it to the department's
experts on Iran to consider any relevant concerns. Unless
there are concerns, no reply is necessary, as the sale will
simply go through at the end of the two week period described
by Director Park. Post has, however, expressed USG
appreciation to MOFAT for its sensitivity to our serious
security concerns about Iran, as well as for its beefed-up
efforts to scrutinize all such sales to Iran and its
willingness to share that information with the U.S.
Government.
VERSHBOW