UNGA FOLLOW UP DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS SEOUL 003463 SIPDIS SENSITIVE, SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED CAPTION) FOR DRL/MLGA GIANNA PAZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KS KN SUBJECT: UNGA FOLLOW UP DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: STATE 161770 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel points on December 4 to MOFAT's Deputy Director of Human Rights and Social Affairs, Jang Hyun-cheol and First Secretary Kim Pil-woo. Jang said that the ROK decision to abstain on the North Korea Human Rights Resolution came only after "painful discussions" within MOFAT and with other government ministries. Jang alluded to reports that Foreign Minister Song Min-soon had fought hard for this issue given MOFAT's opinion that the ROK should vote in support of the resolution while other ROK ministries were reportedly against the motion. Jang said that the ROK had seen draft language as early as November 8 when the resolution was officially tabled but had also consulted with Europen Union colleagues prior to that time to provide the ROK perspective on the language. In the end, the final decision to abstain was made just two hours before the vote, Jang said. Now that the ROKG had made its official decision on the matter, it would continue to abide by this decision in the weeks ahead when the plenary takes up the resolution. ¶2. (SBU) On the ROKG's voting pattern on resolutions relating to Iran, Jang said that the ROK had consistently voted against no-action motions and then abstained when the resolution was brought to a vote. This pattern had been followed by the ROK since 1993 and was not a new way of thinking. Jang did not comment as to whether the ROK had any plans to change its voting pattern on Iran resolutions in the near future. VERSHBOW