LEE KYUNG-SOOK DISCUSSES TRANSITION TEAM PRIORITIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000080

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2014
TAGS: KN KS PGOV PREL PINR
SUBJECT: LEE KYUNG-SOOK DISCUSSES TRANSITION TEAM PRIORITIES


Classified By: Amb. Alexander Vershbow. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (C) Summary: During a meeting with the Ambassador,
Presidential Transition Committee Chair Lee Kyung-sook
discussed the political realities of the transition team's
agenda and President-elect Lee Myung-bak's personal
management style. Lee Kyung-sook, who is clearly one of the
president-elect's biggest fans, opined that Lee Myung-bak and
President Bush would get along very well, though a summit
would probably not happen until after the April 9 National
Assembly elections. Lee Kyung-sook made it clear that the
transition team is focused on cabinet selection and ministry
restructuring in order to position the new administration to
accomplish as much as possible in the six weeks between the
February 25 inauguration and the National Assembly elections.
Lee Kyung-sook is considered a frontrunner for the Prime
Minister position, despite her insistence that she plans to
return to her post as president of Sookmyung Women's
University on February 24. End Summary.

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National Assembly Relations
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2. (SBU) Lee Kyung-sook told the Ambassador in a January 11
meeting that some of the plans for downsizing the government
will be enacted by the transition team, but the first
priority was installing the new cabinet before the
inauguration. She said the President-elect will try to work
closely with the Grand National Party (GNP) because the party
would implement policy. The Transition Team's foreign policy
team chief, Rep. Park Jin, interjected that the transition
team has regular consultations with the GNP and they hope to
reestablish a channel of communication between the Blue House
and the National Assembly. Lee Kyung-sook said the
progressive United New Democratic Party (UNDP) has to support
the ministry restructuring plans because it is an initiative
the public supports.

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"Waterway"
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3. (SBU) Lee Kyung-sook said the "waterway" (vice "canal")
project will take time. (Park Jin explained that "waterway"
was a more accurate description because the project will
really just connect existing rivers, the Han and Nakdong.)
First the administration has to consult with professionals,
galvanize public opinion -- probably by holding a public
hearing on the project -- and attract investors. Lee
Kyung-sook said it will likely be one to two years before
construction begins. She said that when engineers see the
plans, they cannot understand why there is criticism of the
project because it will be so beautiful. She also said that
environmentalists complain that it will damage the
environment, but, in fact, the waterway will actually clean
water that is now polluted, and she made the expected analogy
to the way Lee Myung-bak cleaned up Cheonggye Stream in
downtown Seoul.

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Leadership Style
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4. (SBU) Lee Kyung-sook said Lee Myung-bak will be a
democratic but strong leader, repeating several times that
Korea was very lucky to have such a good leader. The new
president will get rid of "NATO" -- no action, talk only --
leadership. Lee told the Ambassador that the President-elect
knows the U.S. well and thinks the relationship between the
two countries should be stronger. She also expected that Lee
Myung-bak and President Bush would get along very well; they
have a similar way of thinking and are very "globalized" in
their outlook. She said the president-elect has a very open,
westernized style and a casual way of conducting meetings.

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Summit Timing
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5. (SBU) According to Lee Kyung-sook, there needs to be some
kind of symbolic gesture during Lee Myung-bak's first
presidential visit to the U.S. to show the people of Korea
that the bilateral relationship is improving, in turn making
people feel more secure. Lee Kyung-sook was doubtful that
Lee Myung-bak would go to the U.S. before the National
Assembly elections in April. She said, because of all the
restructuring and needed "cleaning up," there was too much to
do. The Ambassador suggested that the best thing to do was
to decide the date and get on the White House calendar as
soon as possible.

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Visa Waiver Program
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6. (SBU) Lee Kyung-sook asked the Ambassador about the
status of visa waiver. She also raised the oft-asked issue
of setting up special work visas for young Koreans, along the
lines of the recently established U.S. arrangement with
Australia, that would allow Korean students to spend one year
working or studying in the U.S.

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Bio Note
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7. (SBU) Lee Kyung-sook conducted the entire meeting in
English, despite her staff's insistence that the Ambassador
bring an interpreter. While she struggled occasionally to
find the right word and it seemed her vocabulary was somewhat
limited, she spoke comfortably.

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Comment
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8. (C) Lee Kyung-sook is a practical leader who is well
regarded thanks to her long and successful stewardship of
Sookmyung Women's University. Her close connection with the
President-elect through Somang Presbyterian Church leaves her
in good standing to take a top position in the Lee
administration. Most press and Lee advisers predict she will
finish her term as president of Sookmyung in 2010, but it is
likely her stint as head of the transition team will not be
her last time working closely with Lee. While she is not a
political lightweight, it remains unclear if she is taking
orders from someone (e.g., Lee Sang-deuk, Choi Shee-joong) or
if she is calling the shots in the transition team.
Regardless, she has kept the transition team productive and
on message and most expect the team to achieve much before
the inauguration.
VERSHBOW