Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SEOUL623
2008-03-28 07:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Seoul
Cable title:
ROKG DOWNPLAYS NORTH KOREAN STYX MISSILE TEST
how-toVZCZCXYZ0013 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHUL #0623 0880719 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 280719Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9116 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 4027 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 4182 RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA CC SEOUL KOR PRIORITY RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J-5// PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OSD/ISA/EAP// PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000623
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2018
TAGS: MCAP MNUC PINS PREL KN KS JA
SUBJECT: ROKG DOWNPLAYS NORTH KOREAN STYX MISSILE TEST
REF: A. IIR 6 855 0152 08
B. SEOUL 616
Classified By: CDA Bill Stanton. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000623
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2018
TAGS: MCAP MNUC PINS PREL KN KS JA
SUBJECT: ROKG DOWNPLAYS NORTH KOREAN STYX MISSILE TEST
REF: A. IIR 6 855 0152 08
B. SEOUL 616
Classified By: CDA Bill Stanton. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) The Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense
(MND) has confirmed Korean media reports that the North
Korean People's Army (KPA) test fired three Russian-made Styx
anti-ship missiles into the West Sea (Yellow Sea) at
approximately 10:30 a.m. local time on Friday March 28.
(Note: Due to high classification, further details are only
available at this time through intelligence community
channels).
2. (C) The ROK Government responded very calmly, downplaying
the incident. Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House) spokesman Lee
Dong-kwan stated shortly after the test that "The Government
regards North Korea's missile firing as merely a part of its
ordinary military training." According to the spokesman,
President Lee was first briefed on the news during a regular
meeting with senior presidential secretaries, "but didn't
show any extraordinary response." MND intended at first to
issue a short statement verifying the launches and
characterizing them as relatively routine, but the head of
their America Policy Division informed us later in the day
that its release was being held up indefinitely by Government
investigators who were looking into the unauthorized release
of sensitive information to the Korean media.
3. (C) As reported reftel A, a senior Chinese diplomat in
Seoul had predicted several weeks ago that the DPRK would
attempt to raise regional tension by inciting an incident in
the West Sea or conducting a missile test this spring.
Possible reasons cited by that source include: DPRK
frustration with the USG, which it claims is responsible for
the current lack of progress in the Six-Party Talks; the
KPA's retort to the U.S.-ROK KEY RESOLVE military exercise
which took place on the Korean Peninsula earlier this month;
and an expression of Pyongyang's displeasure with the
harder-line policy being voiced by the newly-elected Lee
Myung-bak Administration. The missile launches, which came
only a day after the DPRK expelled 11 ROK officials from the
Kaesong Industrial Complex (ref B),may also have been
another attempt to influence the ROK's April 9 National
Assembly elections, given that the DPRK has frequently
employed such tactics in the past.
4. (C) Today's missile test was unusual, but not
unprecedented. Typically, the KPA has tested Styx missiles
(which have a range of 40-80 kilometers) by firing them into
the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Last June, the DPRK also test
fired three Toksa (modified Silkworm) surface-to-ship
missiles with a range of 100-120 kilometers into the West
Sea. Those launches were believed to be in response to
contentious North-South discussions on the Northern Limit
Line (NLL). There were also unconfirmed reports that the
North test-launched a similar single short-range Toksa
missile into the East Sea on May 26, 2007. That launch was
believed to be in response to the ROK Navy test launch the
previous day of anti-ship missiles from its new Aegis
destroyer, King Sejong. The DPRK also test launched at least
two Toksa missiles on March 8 and 9, 2006 in the period
preceding the highly publicized unsuccessful launch of a
Taepodong-2 ballistic missile (and other short and mid-range
missiles) into the East Sea on July 5th 2006. In any
interpretation of what the latest missile test means, we
cannot therefore exclude the fact that they are also part of
North Korea's ongoing missile development programs.
STANTON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2018
TAGS: MCAP MNUC PINS PREL KN KS JA
SUBJECT: ROKG DOWNPLAYS NORTH KOREAN STYX MISSILE TEST
REF: A. IIR 6 855 0152 08
B. SEOUL 616
Classified By: CDA Bill Stanton. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) The Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense
(MND) has confirmed Korean media reports that the North
Korean People's Army (KPA) test fired three Russian-made Styx
anti-ship missiles into the West Sea (Yellow Sea) at
approximately 10:30 a.m. local time on Friday March 28.
(Note: Due to high classification, further details are only
available at this time through intelligence community
channels).
2. (C) The ROK Government responded very calmly, downplaying
the incident. Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House) spokesman Lee
Dong-kwan stated shortly after the test that "The Government
regards North Korea's missile firing as merely a part of its
ordinary military training." According to the spokesman,
President Lee was first briefed on the news during a regular
meeting with senior presidential secretaries, "but didn't
show any extraordinary response." MND intended at first to
issue a short statement verifying the launches and
characterizing them as relatively routine, but the head of
their America Policy Division informed us later in the day
that its release was being held up indefinitely by Government
investigators who were looking into the unauthorized release
of sensitive information to the Korean media.
3. (C) As reported reftel A, a senior Chinese diplomat in
Seoul had predicted several weeks ago that the DPRK would
attempt to raise regional tension by inciting an incident in
the West Sea or conducting a missile test this spring.
Possible reasons cited by that source include: DPRK
frustration with the USG, which it claims is responsible for
the current lack of progress in the Six-Party Talks; the
KPA's retort to the U.S.-ROK KEY RESOLVE military exercise
which took place on the Korean Peninsula earlier this month;
and an expression of Pyongyang's displeasure with the
harder-line policy being voiced by the newly-elected Lee
Myung-bak Administration. The missile launches, which came
only a day after the DPRK expelled 11 ROK officials from the
Kaesong Industrial Complex (ref B),may also have been
another attempt to influence the ROK's April 9 National
Assembly elections, given that the DPRK has frequently
employed such tactics in the past.
4. (C) Today's missile test was unusual, but not
unprecedented. Typically, the KPA has tested Styx missiles
(which have a range of 40-80 kilometers) by firing them into
the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Last June, the DPRK also test
fired three Toksa (modified Silkworm) surface-to-ship
missiles with a range of 100-120 kilometers into the West
Sea. Those launches were believed to be in response to
contentious North-South discussions on the Northern Limit
Line (NLL). There were also unconfirmed reports that the
North test-launched a similar single short-range Toksa
missile into the East Sea on May 26, 2007. That launch was
believed to be in response to the ROK Navy test launch the
previous day of anti-ship missiles from its new Aegis
destroyer, King Sejong. The DPRK also test launched at least
two Toksa missiles on March 8 and 9, 2006 in the period
preceding the highly publicized unsuccessful launch of a
Taepodong-2 ballistic missile (and other short and mid-range
missiles) into the East Sea on July 5th 2006. In any
interpretation of what the latest missile test means, we
cannot therefore exclude the fact that they are also part of
North Korea's ongoing missile development programs.
STANTON