ROK WILLING TO PROSECUTE PIRATES, SEEKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 003266 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/RSA FOR JUN BANDO, EAP/RSP, EAP/K FOR PAUL LOH AND LAURA ROSENBERGER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2017 TAGS: KCRM KCSY PHSA PTER PREL EWWT UN UNSC IMO PM BM, SO, RP, JA, KN, KS, XA, XO SUBJECT: ROK WILLING TO PROSECUTE PIRATES, SEEKS MULTILATERAL ENFORCEMENT MEASURES REF: SECSTATE 152276 Classified By: DCM Bill Stanton. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) In response to reftel demarche and non-paper, Park In-kook, Deputy Foreign Minister for International Organizations and Global Issues, agreed on the need for stronger multilateral enforcement mechanisms against piracy. In a November 6 meeting with the DCM, Park asked in particular about the U.S. view of the Government of Spain's proposal to address piracy off the east coast of Africa through an international coalition of countries whose shipping was most at risk of Somali piracy. Spanish fishing fleets based in the Seychelles, for example, faced harassment from pirates in that area. Spain had therefore invited the PRC, Japan, and the ROK to join existing EU coalitions against piracy, Park said. Denmark and possibly Portugal would also be interested in such an effort, Park said. While the ROK was open to this possibility, it wanted to consult first with the U.S. to hear USG views on the initiative. The ROK, Park added, would participate in any USG-supported international effort against piracy. ¶2. (C) Park said the ROKG was actively seeking multilateral enforcement mechanisms against piracy after recent incidents requiring direct negotiations with pirates. In an apparent reference to alleged concessions the Koreans might have made to win the return of their citizens, Park noted that the ultimate goal for Korea was a no-concessions policy, but meanwhile the ROKG was forced to take into account "national sentiment" on ensuring the safe return of Korean citizens. As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) would require a referral to the UNSC in order to implement effective action, Park did not believe the IMO was an effective mechanism by itself. ¶3. (C) Also at the meeting, Lee Kyoo-ho, Assistant Director for Disarmament and Nonproliferation, stated that the ROK claimed the right to protect its citizens worldwide, and would theoretically have the jurisdiction to prosecute the pirates who had taken the Golden Nori. MOFAT had not yet considered in detail, however, how the ROKG would handle pirates involved in seizing the Golden Nori if they were captured, but Lee emphasized that the ROKG would want to coordinate with the USG in that event. VERSHBOW