ROK RECONSIDERING HOSTING APDP MEETING; REQUESTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001820 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2018 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KS SUBJECT: ROK RECONSIDERING HOSTING APDP MEETING; REQUESTS MORE INFORMATION REF: A. STATE 94545 ¶B. SEOUL 1757 Classified By: DCM Bill Stanton. Reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: This is an action request. The ROK is giving positive consideration to hosting the Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP) Senior Officials' Meeting (ref A),the Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral, Global, and Legal Affairs Oh Joon told the DCM on September 12. Oh said, however, that clarification and consultation are needed before a final decision is made. Oh asked that we respond with more information by September 16. End Summary ¶2. (C) In a September 12 meeting Oh requested with the DCM, he said the ROK supports the U.S. APDP initiative and is giving POSITIVE consideration to hosting the proposed APDP Senior Officials' Meeting. Before the ROKG makes a final decision, however, Oh requested a response to the following by September 16: -- Invitations: Oh would like U.S. assistance in ensuring Assistant Secretary-level (or equivalent) participation. Oh also asked to confirm the U.S. representative. -- Host or Co-Host: Oh asked whether the USG was proposing that the ROK should host alone or co-host with the U.S. There were advantages either way and the ROKG would be flexible, Oh said. -- Invitees: Oh asked whether the list of invitees could be expanded to include a larger group of countries than participated in the July 2008 planning meeting in Mongolia, although he would not name any additional countries to invite. Oh said the ROK wants to minimize the possibility of negative inference by non-participating countries who might think the APDP is discriminatory or exclusive. -- Outcomes: Oh requested that the U.S. propose a set of expected concrete outcomes for the meeting to ensure the meeting would not just repeat what had been done in Mongolia. He said that the ROK would want the proposed outcomes before issuing invitations. Would there, for example, be institutional elements as an outcome? He also said the APDP should have some defining regional characteristics to distinguish it from the Community of Democracies. On neither of these points, however, did Oh make any specific recommendations. ¶3. (C) Oh said he would like a decision to be made by September 19 on whether to host the meeting. He will be in New York September 21-27 for UNGA-related events and would want to issue invitations before he departs Seoul. While in New York, Oh would also like to meet with relevant Department representatives in New York to discuss the meeting. Oh said the ROK would propose holding the Senior Officials' meeting on Monday, October 27 or Friday, October 31, because, just before or after a weekend, travel would be easier and would ensure better participation. ¶4. (C) Comment: After initially declining to host the meeting (ref B),it is clear MOFAT is moving toward a decision to host. Our MOFAT contacts told us on September 11 that the decision was with Foreign Minister Yu (who will return from Mongolia over the weekend). Later in the day, Oh requested a meeting with the DCM. If we can address Oh's questions and assure him of our support, it is likely Korea will host the Senior Officials' Meeting. VERSHBOW