ROKG RESPONSE TO ITSO DEMARCHE

UNCLAS SEOUL 001069 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EEB/CIP/TS DOUGLAS MAY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC ECON ECPS EFIN INTELSAT KTIA PREL TSPA KS SUBJECT: ROKG RESPONSE TO ITSO DEMARCHE REF: STATE 68550 ¶1. (U) Per reftel, Post delivered the talking points and non paper to Deputy Director Lim Jae Deok, and Mr. Park Joo-Hong at the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) regarding the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO). ¶2. (SBU) The KCC officials stated that they were well aware of the USG position, which they had heard at the November 2008 and March 2009 Assembly meetings. They indicated that Korea hld a neutral position on the proceedings and did not plan to attend the Rome meetings. ¶3. (SBU) The KCC was not aware that the United States and the United Kingdom had agreed to a compromise with the Director General, Ahmed Toumi, and that the minutes of the March 2009 meeting explicitly reference the Director General's agreement to this compromise. Moreover, the KCC was unaware of the possible cost implications to member countries if Toumi's arbitration request is approved. ¶4. (SBU) According to KCC, due to the economic crisis, member countries had complained about the cost to attend the November and March meetings. Therefore, Korea expects low attendance at this meeting in Rome. Econoff urged Korea to send a representative to attend the meeting in Rome. STEPHENS