DM PARK IN-KOOK ON CONCERNS ABOUT NORTH KOREA AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000353 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2017 TAGS: ETRD MNUC PARM PREL KN KS SUBJECT: DM PARK IN-KOOK ON CONCERNS ABOUT NORTH KOREA AND IRAN REF: A. SECSTATE 11293 ¶B. THE HAGUE 204 Classified By: DCM Bill Stanton. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During a February 5 lunch hosted by Park In-kook, MOFAT Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations, Park updated the DCM on recent actions the ROK had taken to implement UNSCR 1718 and tighten inspections at the Western Transportation Corridor (TC West) that crosses the DMZ between North and South Korea. Park said the ROK appreciated the U.S. decision to allow the export of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to South Korea, had installed X-ray equipment at the TC West inspection facility, and had sent a provisional list to the UN of luxury items it would not export to the DPRK. Park invited the DCM to join him in visiting the TC West facility at the end of March to observe these changes for himself. On the issue of opposing Iran's possible bid to become chair of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW),Park said only that the ROKG was considering putting forth the ROK ambassador to The Hague as the Asia Group candidate, calling Ambassador Choi "an excellent choice." END SUMMARY. -------------- UNSCR 1718 -------------- ¶2. (C) During a February 5 lunch hosted by Park In-kook, MOFAT Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations, the DCM requested an update on actions by the Republic of Korea (ROK) to implement UNSCR 1718 and to tighten inspections at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) station at the Western Transportation Corridor (TC West) that leads to the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) in North Korea. Park briefed the DCM on the following ROK actions in recent weeks: -- First, he said, the ROK greatly appreciated the USG decision to allow the export of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to South Korea for use at the transportation corridors. Park commented that introduction of that kind of system would greatly upgrade the ROK's monitoring capabilities. -- Second, at the end of January the ROK had installed X-ray equipment at the TC West CIQ facility, and was currently testing its operability. -- Third, in response to UNSCR 1718, the ROKG sent a provisional list of luxury items to the United Nations (para 5). -- Finally, Park said MOFAT had and would continue to press the ROK Ministry of Unification to put more inspectors at the CIQ site, and to create secondary inspection areas for random searches of vehicles passing through the DMZ. ¶3. (C) Park invited the DCM to join him in making a visit to the TC West CIQ facility to observe these changes first hand, and said a joint visit could be arranged by the end of March. He also promised to look into a question the DCM raised about why the ROK apparently intended to use the new equipment to inspect only those vehicles going into North Korea, and not the trucks that return each day to the South. -------------- OPCW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR -------------- ¶4. (C) Referring to the ref (A) demarche delivered by POLOFF on February 2, and the ref (B) cable from our mission in The Hague, the DCM asked Deputy Minister Park if South Korea was seriously considering heading off Iran's bid to chair the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) by putting forth its own Asia Group candidate. Park replied that Ambassador Choi, the ROK Ambassador to The Hague, would be "an excellent choice" as the Asia Group candidate, but warned that Choi was a very shy individual. However, after MOFAT Disarmament and Nonproliferation Division Director Park Chul-min expressed some reservations to his superior in Korean, DM Park would say only that the ROK would "consider" putting Ambassador Choi forward as the Asia Group candidate. The DCM reiterated the importance of not allowing Iran to take the OPCW chair. -------------- ROK PROVISIONAL LUXURY ITEMS LIST -------------- ¶5. (U) After the lunch, Director Park faxed a copy of the ROKG's provisional luxury items list to the embassy. It reads as follows: BEGIN TEXT: Annex to the note verbale dated 15 January 2007 from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations addressed to the Chairman of the Committee. Follow-up report of the Republic of Korea on the implementation of resolution 1718 (2006). As a measure to fulfill the obligation to prevent the export of luxury goods to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, pursuant to operative paragraph 8(a)(iii) of resolution 1718 (2006),the Government of the Republic of Korea is in the process of drafting a list of items it considers to be luxury goods, including luxury motor vehicles, high-end electronic devices, luxury food and alcoholic beverages, luxury recreational items, luxury furniture, precious stones, luxury accessories and designer apparel. After the completion of the list, the Government of the Republic of Korea will inform the Security Council of the list of luxury goods and the administrative measures to implement the ban on luxury goods. END TEXT. VERSHBOW