Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08STATE95622
2008-09-06 04:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

U.S.-ROK Strategic Consultations for Applied

Tags:  OVIP NEGROPONTE JOHN MARR PARM PREL KS 
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O P 060431Z SEP 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE
INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY
USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 095622 


NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/2018
TAGS: OVIP NEGROPONTE JOHN MARR PARM PREL KS

SUBJECT: U.S.-ROK Strategic Consultations for Applied
Partnership Meeting

Classified by EAP Assistant Secretary Christopher Hill
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 095622


NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/2018
TAGS: OVIP NEGROPONTE JOHN MARR PARM PREL KS

SUBJECT: U.S.-ROK Strategic Consultations for Applied
Partnership Meeting

Classified by EAP Assistant Secretary Christopher Hill
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) September 2, 2008, from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm,
Washington, DC.


2. (SBU) Participants:

U.S.
Deputy Secretary Negroponte
David Gordon, Director, Policy Planning
A/S Mark Kimmitt, PM
DASD David Sedney, DOD-OSD
DAS Alex Arvizu, EAP
Sung Kim, EAP
Kurt Tong, EAP/K
Kaye Lee, D Staff
Brian McFeeters, Embassy Seoul (notetaker)
Sherri Holliday-Sklar, EAP/K (notetaker)

Republic of Korea
Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jung-Rak
Political Minister Kim Kyou-hyun, ROK Embassy
National Security Strategy Secretary Kim Tae-Hyo, Blue
House
Deputy Director-General Lee Back-soon, MOFAT North
American Affairs Bureau
Kim Hyoung-zhin, ROK Embassy
Cho Koo-Rae, MOFAT Director for North America Division II
Lee In-Bae, Assistant to the President
Rhee Dong-Yeol, MOFAT North American Division I
Cho Seoung-Ho, MOFAT North American Division I
Kim Young-wan, MOFAT Deputy Director North American
Division III


3. (C/NF) SUMMARY: The three bilateral Presidential
meetings this year in the United States, Korea, and Japan,
have energized the strong U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK)
alliance, ROK Vice Foreign Minister (VFM) Kwon told Deputy
Secretary Negroponte during September 2 Strategic
Consultations for Allied Partnership (SCAP) discussions
in Washington, D.C. VFM Kwon reaffirmed Korea's commitment
to securing National Assembly approval for the Korea-U.S.
Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) this year and emphasized
the political importance of securing entry to the Visa Waiver
Program (VWP) by the end of the year. Concerning military
alliance issues, Kwon asked the United States to remain open
to reviewing the 2012 OPCON transfer should circumstances
warrant; expressed a desire to increase Korea's in- kind
contributions to meet burdensharing requirements; requested
help with unsatisfactory draft legislation revising the
ROK's foreign military sales (FMS) status; and emphasized
the political sensitivity of the environmental concerns
surrounding the return of U.S. military bases.

END SUMMARY.

Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement
--------------


4. (SBU) The three bilateral Presidential meetings this year
held in the United States, Japan, and Korea have energized
the strong U.S.-ROK alliance, according to ROK VFM Kwon.
VFM Kwon said the ROKG is working hard to get National
Assembly approval of the KORUS FTA during the regular fall
session (from mid-September through December 20). He said
the ruling Grand National Party has committed to using its
majority to ensure timely passage of the FTA. The Deputy
Secretary said President Bush is committed to ratification
and implementation of the KORUS FTA. He observed that early
National Assembly passage of the KORUS FTA would help the
Administration with Congress, which currently has plans to be
in session only until September 26 this year. Nonetheless,
the Administration will make its best efforts. We are aware
that the agreement is in our best interests. VFM Kwon said the
ROKG understands the challenge of securing Congressional
ratification. He noted that the ROK is in the end stages of
FTA negotiations with the European Union and hopes to sign a
Korea-EU FTA in October. Korea would like to have the KORUS
FTA in place as soon as possible to expand our already strong
relationship.

Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
--------------


5. (C/NF) Securing ROK entry to the VWP this year is a key
priority for the ROKG, VFM Kwon said. The ROKG is working
to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the
United States to resolve the remaining issue of criminal
information sharing. The ROK Director General (DG) for
Consular Affairs arrives today (September 2) to meet with
his U.S. Department of Homeland Security counterpart to
discuss the MOU. At issue is Korea's ability to provide
the criminal records of travelers to the United States
without travelers' consent. The MOU would allow for such
sharing, but will have to be confirmed by the National
Assembly. VFM Kwon said that National Assembly ratification
could take some time, and may not happen before the end of
the year. However, President Lee had already promised the
Korean people that they would deliver the VWP by the end of
the year. As a result, VFM Kwon hopes we can proceed with
the VWP with a signed but not yet fully ratified MOU.


6. (C/NF) The Deputy Secretary noted the importance of
concluding the MOU negotiations soon and asked whether the
ROKG would be able to implement the criminal information-sharing
provisions without having National Assembly endorsement of
the MOU. Kwon responded that it was his understanding the ROKG
could proceed on administrative authorities to carry out its
end of the MOU until the National Assembly acts. In any event,
the ROKG has told the Korean public the VWP will happen this
year so the ROKG must find a way to make it work, Kwon said.
He thought the ROKG would be able to share criminal information,
but not on a blanket basis. The Deputy Secretary emphasized
that the important next step to achieving our goal of
implementing the VWP is to ensure a satisfactory conclusion
of the MOU negotiations.

Work, English, Study, Travel (WEST) Program
--------------


7. (SBU) VFM Kwon said young Koreans have high expectations
for the new WEST program. EAP DAS Arvizu said the USG and
ROKG negotiations are on track to deliver a signed MOU this
fall and start the program early next year. Kwon said the ROKG
is concerned about identifying companies that would provide
work opportunities for Korean students. He asked for advice
about facilitating the work portion of the program. The Deputy
Secretary suggested there were a number of organizations that
had experience facilitating these types of programs. The
Institute for International Education (IIE),which has helped
Fulbright exchanges find work, and Meridian House are just two
examples.

OPCON Transfer
--------------


8. (C/NF) VFM Kwon stressed that the planned transition of
operational control (OPCON) from U.S. to ROK military forces
by 2012 is going well. Because of the unpredictable security
situation on the peninsula, the United States and ROKG should
regularly consult on how the peninsular security climate could
affect the OPCON transition. Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Defense David Sedney noted that we are always open to
consultations but observed that both sides had agreed to the
OPCON transition date with an awareness of the DPRK's possession
of nuclear weapons, of missiles and recognizing the DPRK's
unpredictability. We chose the 2012 date with the conviction
that the OPCON transition would improve security on the Korean
peninsula, he stated. The Deputy Secretary cautioned that
active consideration of changing the date could send the wrong
message. In response to a question, VFM Kwon noted that the
United States and ROK had agreed to review OPCON transition
timing in the last couple of years of transition. VFM
Kwon said the ROKG is proceeding with the OPCON transition plan
but wants to flag concern that recent DPRK actions, including
their continued development of long-range ballistic missiles,
cause lingering uneasiness on the ROK side.

Burdensharing Negotiations
--------------


9. (C/NF) Negotiations for a new Special Measures Agreement
(SMA) will continue in late September, Kwon noted. The ROKG has
proposed less "cash" and more "in-kind" support and the U.S. side
has agreed to consider it "in due course," particularly for
military construction. Kwon noted that SMA currently is used for
three kinds of expenditures: (1) wages for ROK citizens working
for USFK; (2) logistical support (which is done by contract); and
(3) military construction. Cash transfers for military
construction, he argued, have been non-transparent and problematic
because of the long time-frame involved and the short Korean
budgetary year. These problems have eroded the level of ROK public
support for SMA. The two sides now agree on the basic concept
of moving toward more in-kind contributions, but the timing is
very important. If we can narrow the gap on the timing of the
transition from cash to in-kind support, Kwon noted, the ROKG would
have more flexibility in terms of its overall level of financial
support for the SMA. Political Military Affairs Assistant
Secretary Kimmitt said, based on his discussion with U.S.
negotiator Ambassador McDonald, this issue should not be an
insurmountable problem.

Base Returns
--------------


10. (C/NF) VFM Kwon stressed the ROKG is concerned about some
environmental problems at U.S. military bases that are being
returned to the ROK. The ROKG would like to agree on the
standards for joint environmental assessment of the bases,
including an agreed definition of "non-imminent substantial
endangerment" to the environment. Local governments and
neighboring residents are concerned that the bases will not
be able to be redeveloped without significant environmental
remediation after the U.S. military returns them. The Deputy
Secretary said he understands ROKG environmental concerns but
noted that environmental remediation cannot be an unlimited
liability for the U.S. military. These bases were created in
the context of U.S. military forces coming to the defense of
the ROK about 50 years ago, with what we knew about environmental
impact at that time. DASD Sedney said the USFK plans to
return nine bases to the ROKG this year, including Camp Hialeah.
USFK and the ROK Ministry of National Defense negotiators
are close to agreement on the terms of those camp returns
within the framework of the Status of Forces Agreement
(SOFA),he said.

Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Status
--------------


11. (C/NF) As discussed during President Lee's April 2008
visit, the ROKG would like to obtain Foreign Military
Sales (FMS) status similar to NATO plus 3, VFM Kwon said.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill earlier
this year that would accomplish this. The Senate Foreign
Relations Committee (SFRC) has changed the bill to provide
FMS treatment that is worse than what Korea currently
has, Kwon asserted. In his assessment, the language is
even worse than the FMS status of former Warsaw-pact
countries in Eastern Europe. The Deputy Secretary
observed that Secretary Rice had expressed her support
for elevating the ROK's FMS status in a letter to Senators
Biden and Lugar last April. EAP DAS Arvizu said the State
Department would look into the issue.


12. (SBU) The subsequent SCAP working lunch discussion will
be reported septel.
RICE


NNNN




End Cable Text