DASD SEDNEY MEETING WITH MOFAT NORTH AMERICA DG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001845 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2018 TAGS: PBTS PGOV PHSA PINS MARR KS KN SUBJECT: DASD SEDNEY MEETING WITH MOFAT NORTH AMERICA DG REF: A. REF: A) SECSTATE 95545 (SCAP LUNCH) ¶B. B) SECSTATE 96122 (IRAQ COALITION DEMARCHE) Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Y. Yun REASONS 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (CO) SUMMARY: On September 11, DASD David Sedney and EAP/K Director Kurt Tong paid an office call on MOFAT North American Affairs DG Chang Ho-jin. They agreed that the September 10 Security Policy Initiative talks had gone well, but that several issues -- camp returns and the SMA burden-sharing negotiation -- still posed difficult challenges. Chang reported hearing good news regarding resolution of the Combined Defense Improvements Project (CDIP) funding problem and predicted that would help make the September 24-25 SMAQegotiations more successful. On camp returns, he correctly described what the two sides were trying to do as making improvements to the environmental assessment process within the range of SOFA limitations. On the question of inviting the Chinese to observe U.S.-ROK military exercises, Chang assured that the level of the observers would be calibrated so as not to raise concerns, but agreed that further consultations with the U.S. were warranted. He appeared to welcome the news that the ROK would not be asked to extend its troop presence in Iraq beyond 2008 but fretted about dealing with public questions about how the decision had been made. At the end of the meeting EAP/K Director Tong urged the ROK to accelerate its efforts to resolve remaining Visa Waiver issues prior to the planned White House announcement on new entrants in early October. END SUMMARY ¶2. (CO) On September 11, David Sedney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia and EAP/K Director Kurt Tong paid a brief office call on Chang Ho-jin, the North American Bureau Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT). They agreed that the September 10 Security Policy Initiative talks (SPI-19) had gone well, but that several issues -- particularly camp returns and the negotiation of a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) -- remained as difficult challenges. DG Chang stated that we would need to achieve joint success in both areas. He said that was possible, but would be difficult. CDIP/SMA -------------- ¶3. (CO) Director General Chang reported that he had heard that good progress had been made on resolving the Combined Defense Improvements Project (CDIP) funding shortfall issue. That would make the next round of SMA negotiations on September 24-25 better, he predicted. Sedney agreed that resolution of CDIP before the SMA talks is key to success on SMA. CAMP RETURNS -------------- ¶4. (CO) Chang said the USFK-proposal to develop an improved joint environmental assessment process for camp returns was a good thing. He pointed out, however, that the joint assessment would be based on a risk assessment rooted in U.S. regulations, not ROK law. He said the ROK Ministry of the Environment (MOE) was not so familiar with the U.S. regulations and asked that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) take particular care to explain it to them. DG Chang and DASD Sedney agreed that both sides were attempting to make improvements within a certain range of limitations, and that while there was room for flexibility, the authorities and responsibilities set forth in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) limited the amount of change we could ultimately agree to make in the process. Chang indicated that he clearly understood that. If the ROK wanted environmental measures beyond the SOFA standards, to address post-SOFA changes in ROK domestic law, the ROK would have to pay for those measures. CHINA: STRATEGIC COOPERATION -------------- ¶5. (CO) Referring to reftel discussion with MOFAT Vice Foreign Minister Kwon at the Strategic Consultation on Allied Partnership (SCAP) talks on September 2 about the possibility of allowing Chinese People's Liberation Army officers to observe U.S.-ROK military exercises, DASD Sedney urged consultations, rather than statements to the press, as made the day before by MND DM Jeon. Sedney said that he could see some value to such PRC observation in sending signals to the DPRK. However, it is important that we consult bilaterally if and how to do this. Chang acknowledged that consultations were necessary. CHANGES IN IRAQ COALITION -------------- ¶6. (CO) Noting that Gen Lute had called ROK representative to the NSC to tell the ROK and others that the ROK's dispatch of troops to Iraq would no longer be necessary at the end of this year, DG Chang asked when the Government of Iraq planned to make the public announcement. EAP/K Director Kurt Tong stated that EAP Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill had passed along the content of the decision to the ROK Ambassador to Washington on September 9, and that Ambassador Vershbow had delivered the same message to the ROK Minister of National Defense on September 10 and would be doing so with President Lee Myung-bak later in the day on September ¶11. As for the public announcement, that was up to the Government of Iraq and would be coming out of Baghdad, Tong advised. ¶7. (CO) Chang enumerated two primary concerns of the ROKG: 1) that it not be embarrassed by the news, and 2) that the substance of the announcement avoid giving the impression that the U.S. (rather than the GOI) had made a unilateral decision that the ROK troops should leave. DASD Sedney pointed out that the future of the coalition presence was an Iraqi, not a U.S. decision. The key here was that progress in Iraq is enabling the U.S. and other Coalition partners to draw down their forces. This is a success for all of us. Sedney thanked the ROK for its contributions. The Embassy POL-MIL chief added that since the ROK had already decided to remove its troops from Iraq at the end of the year (as a condition when the National Assembly passed the law extending their presence through 2008),the announcement by the Government of Iraq was respectful of the ROKG position. ¶8. (CO) Chang asked why some countries, especially Estonia, had been asked to stay on in Iraq while others had not. DASD Sedney replied that those decisions were based on the Iraqi government's judgment of its needs. As these were Iraqi government decisions based on Iraqi security requirements, and he could not speak for the Government of Iraq, Sedney said. Chang replied that the ROK was happy to "return on success," but explained that he had to prepare for all possible negative political spin. Chang acknowledged that those who would make such criticism were those who had opposed the initial deployments. Sedney again stressed the USG's respect for and appreciation of the ROK contribution. In a one-on-one conversation at the end of the meeting, Sedney told Chang that he expected the U.S. would be seeking more support for Afghanistan from Korea. Acknowledging the political sensitivity in the ROK on Afghanistan, Sedney suggested Chang and the MFA look for ways to prepare the ROK people for such assistance. FINAL STEPS FOR VISA WAIVER -------------- ¶9. (CO) At the conclusion of the meeting Kurt Tong took a few moments to stress that time is of the essence on the ROK's accession to the Visa Waiver Program because the White House planned to make an announcement in early October regarding the new countries that would be invited to join the program. He urged that the ROKG work with appropriate U.S. counterparts to resolve all the remaining issues. He pointed to the one-year definition of serious crimes as a key sticking point, adding that if the U.S. and ROK can reach an agreement on that, the rest should fall fairly quickly into place. ¶10. (UN) This report has been cleared by DASD Sedney. VERSHBOW