VICE-PRESIDENT BIDEN, SECRETARY CLINTON, TOP PICKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001301 SIPDIS DEPT PASS OVP E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2019 TAGS: PGOV KS SUBJECT: VICE-PRESIDENT BIDEN, SECRETARY CLINTON, TOP PICKS FOR KDJ FUNERAL Classified By: POL M/C James L. Wayman. Reasons 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Former President Kim Dae-jung is in critical condition and is expected to live a few weeks, at most. President Kim's Senior Secretary said a funeral delegation led by Vice President Biden or Secretary Clinton would be the family's preference, adding that President Kim and Vice President Biden have a long, personal relationship. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Comment: Kim Dae-jung's stature as a genuine hero of democracy and as a Nobel Prize winner will attract high-ranking foreign dignitaries to his memorial service. This, combined with his commitment to the U.S.-ROK relationship, moves us to urge a delegation of the highest possible level for the funeral. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the alliance and the importance of the democratic struggle -- especially to an audience that is woefully misinformed about the role the United States played in supporting Korea's democratization and in fighting for Kim Dae-jung's life. End Comment. -------------- Medical Condition -------------- ¶3. (C) Kim Sun-heung, former President Kim Dae-jung's Senior Secretary, told poloffs on August 14 that President Kim's health had improved very slightly since the weekend but he is still unconscious and is unlikely to recover. Kim Sun-heung said the doctors told him on August 8 that the former President had less than 24 hours to live. Now they were unsure of the time frame but said only a miracle could save him. Kim Dae-jung's wife, Lee Hee-ho, has been stoic, Kim said, until yesterday when the "second miracle" failed to occur. (NOTE: Yesterday marked 36 years since Kim Dae-jung was found alive after having been kidnapped by KCIA operatives in Japan.) ¶4. (C) Separately, poloff met with Dr. Kong Gu, special adviser to Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Chung Sye-kyun. Kong, who is a physician, cited friends on Kim Dae-jung's medical team who said that the former president's death is imminent. He might last weeks, but not months. -------------- Funeral Delegation -------------- ¶5. (C) Kim Sun-heung said that, because of their close personal relationships with Kim Dae-jung, funeral delegations led by Vice President Biden or Secretary Clinton would be the family's strong preference. Kim Sun-heung noted that VP Biden and the former president were very close friends. Kim Dae-jung apparently gave VP Biden a tie that the latter considers "lucky." STEPHENS