MAY 21 - DAY OF SOLIDARITY (PART II)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001008 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2018 TAGS: KDEM PHUM PREL EUN CU KS SUBJECT: MAY 21 - DAY OF SOLIDARITY (PART II) REF: A. STATE 45792 ¶B. SEOUL 991 Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Yun. Reasons 1.4(b/d) (C) MOFAT Director General for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Doo Jung-soo met with POL M/C on May 15 to further discuss the ROKG view on Cuba. (Note: POL M/C and DCM met the previous day with the Deputy Foreign Minister about the same subject. See Ref B). DG Doo reiterated the ROK's full support for the US position toward Cuba and its concern for the human rights situation there. After considering USG planned activities for May 21 Cuba Solidarity Day, DG Doo said that the ROK had decided that it would not make any public statements about Cuba at this time. Echoing the DFM's comment from the previous day, DG Doo said that a statement about Cuba would not likely have an impact on Koreans nor do anything to help Cubans. POL M/C noted that many countries in the region and beyond considered Korea a success story because it developed a robust democratic society in a relatively short period of time. As a country who had succeeded in fostering democracy, other countries could learn through Korea's example and leadership, and it was for those reasons that we were making a special appeal to the ROKG. VERSHBOW