KAZAKHSTAN: SOUTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR ON ECONOMIC,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASTANA 002163

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EAP/K, EUR/RS, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON KDEM RS KS KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: SOUTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR ON ECONOMIC,
DEMOCRACY, AND OTHER ISSUES

Classified By: Ambassador Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4 (B),(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The South Korean Ambassador in Astana said
Seoul

-- is considering an economic summit for South Asia as a way
to raise its profile in the region;

-- would be willing to play a greater "quiet diplomacy" role
in promoting democracy;

-- considered creating a South and Central Asia Bureau in its
Foreign Ministry but decided it is still too early to do so;
and

-- is pulling its hair out trying to get its new embassy
built in Astana. END SUMMARY.

SOUTH KOREA TO HOST CENTRAL ASIAN ECONOMIC SUMMIT?


2. (C) During a courtesy call on October 30, South Korean
Ambassador Kim Il-Soo said his government wants to pay more
political attention to Central Asia, especially because of
"China creep," and is considering organizing an exonomic
summit for Central Asia, but isn't sure what it really has to
offer at this time. Should the project more forward, he
speculated it might focus on specific issues like commercial
nuclear energy and agriculture. Kim commented that Japan's
pig push on Central Asia a year or two ago seems to have lost
steam, and he personally doubts South Korea could do more
than hold a one-off symbolic meeting at this time. He said
he has argued in his foreign ministry against such a summit
unless Seoul is prepared to sustain follow-through.

SOUTH KOREA CAN HELP PROMOTE DEMOCRACY


3. (SBU) Although South Korea's interests in Kazakhstan are
primarily commercial, Kim said Seoul would be willing to play
a greater role in promoting democracy. He noted South
Korea's special perspective as an Asian democracy that only
20 years ago made the transition from authoritarian
capitalism to free-market democracy. He said he thought this
perspective could be especially helpful in quiet diplomacy in
Kazakhstan and asked to be included in the informal group of
Western like-minded embassies in Astana. The Ambassador
readily concurred.

SEOUL SEES CENTRAL ASIA STILL CLOSE TO RUSSIA


4. (C) Ambassador Kim asked if the State Department's moving
the Central Asian states away from the Europe and Eurasia
Bureau into the new South and Central Asia Bureau has been
successful. He commented, "That was a visionary decision."
Because Seoul follows the United States closely as a model,
he said his government had considered following this lead,
but after heated debate had concluded it was too early to do
so, primarily because of Moscow's strong influence in the
region.

SOUTH KOREA'S NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND: STILL A FIELD OF DREAMS


5. (C) Kim lamented the difficulty of getting South Korea's
new embassy built in Astana. He said there was a stand-off
for two years because the Kazakhstani government, insisting
on reciprocity, demanded a grant of land in Seoul to build a
new embassy. Currently, South Korea has an agreement for
land in Astana, diagonally across from the U.S. compound, but
the Kazakhstani parliament must ratify the agreement -- and
the government in Astana has told Kim that might take another
six months. The South Korean property development company,
Highvill (sic),would build the new chancery, but gearing up
would take extra time since Highvill has sent most of its
ex-pat staff back to South Korean because of the credit
crunch for private-sector construction. Kim quipped he would
be lucky to see the foundations poured during his tenure.
HOAGLAND