ACCESSION TO THE TREATY OF AMITY AND COOPERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000535 SIPDIS EAP/RSP, L/ESA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2019 TAGS: PREL ASEAN KTIA KS SUBJECT: ACCESSION TO THE TREATY OF AMITY AND COOPERATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: NON-ASEAN ALLIES' EXPERIENCE REF: STATE 20228 Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b),(d). (C) In response to reftel's questions regarding the ROK's experience with accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC),MOFAT's ASEAN Cooperation Division Director Jung Byeong-hoo told us April 1 that the ROK had two reservations when it signed the TAC in November 2004: accession to the TAC did not affect the ROK's existing treaty obligations and the ROK's TAC obligations did not apply to relations with states outside of Southeast Asia. Jung said the ROK voiced these reservations orally at the November 2004 ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting at which the ROK signed the TAC and that the reservations were recorded in the meeting's minutes. No ROK parliamentary action was required and there have not been any post-accession issues with regard to the TAC, according to Jung. STEPHENS