INTERIM KOREAN RESPONSE: DEMARCHE ON THE

UNCLAS SEOUL 000067 SIPDIS FOR EEB/ESC/DMONOSSON AND OES/EGC/GTHOMPSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG EUN GM KS PGOV SENV SUBJECT: INTERIM KOREAN RESPONSE: DEMARCHE ON THE INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY (IRENA) REF: STATE 134385 ESTH Officer delivered Reftel message requesting posts to explain USG opposition to IRENA and report host country positions to Yoo Yeon-chul, Director of the Energy and Resources Cooperation Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on January 14. Director Yoo was familiar with the German initiative to create the IRENA, but said his ministry had not yet decided whether it would support the initiative or participate in the meeting at the end of this month to launch the agency. He thanked ESTH Officer for explaining the USG views and said he would carefully consider those views in forming the South Korean position on IRENA. He also promised to inform ESTH Officer in the next few days whether South Korea would attend the IRENA launch meeting. STEPHENS