ROKG TO CONTINUE PRESSURE ON CHINA REGARDING ASAT

S E C R E T SEOUL 000055 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2018 TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC MARR KS CH SUBJECT: ROKG TO CONTINUE PRESSURE ON CHINA REGARDING ASAT TEST REF: A. SECSTATE 1265 ¶B. 07 SEOUL 210 Classified By: A/DCM Patrick Linehan, Reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (S) On January 8, A/DCM delivered reftel A demarche and nonpaper to Song Young-wan, Director General of the International Organizations Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT). Song thanked the A/DCM for sharing the planned demarche to China and reiterated the ROKG's concern about China's Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test and frustration about the Chinese Government's failure to adequately respond to international inquiries. Song explained that the ROKG had raised the ASAT test with the Chinese government on numerous occasions since January 2007. Song said that he demarched the Chinese Embassy in Seoul immediately after learning of the test from the U.S. (reported reftel B),at which time the Chinese Foreign Ministry appeared completely unaware of the test. Song also raised the ASAT test at an annual nonproliferation meeting between the two countries in May 2007, when the Chinese Foreign Ministry had a prepared response, insisting the test was in accordance with international norms and that the debris was minimal and posed no significant threat to the satellites of other countries. Song agreed that the Chinese response to international concerns to date had been inadequate and promised the ROKG would continue to press the Chinese Government on the issue. VERSHBOW