UN CONFERENCE ON DEVELOPMENT: ROKG SHARES U.S.

UNCLAS SEOUL 000816 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/EDA - DBALLARD AND EEB/IFD/ODF - KMONAHAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN UNGA KS SUBJECT: UN CONFERENCE ON DEVELOPMENT: ROKG SHARES U.S. CONCERN REF: STATE 50892 ¶1. (U) This cable is sensitive but unclasified and not rpt not for internet distribution. ¶2. (SBU) Dep Econ Couns on May 21 met Lim Hoon-min, Director of the Office of Development Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAT),to brief him on U.S. concerns regarding the process. Lim noted that he was overall coordinator for the ROKG on the conference and that Vice Minister Shin Kak-soo would lead the Korean delegation. Lim said he was working closely with MOFAT's International Economic Organizations office to prepare the ROKG position. Lim said that the ROKG reaction to the initial draft was that the document was unacceptable. He noted, however, that a new draft outcome document had just been recieved from the ROKG Mission in New York. The ROKG Mission reported that the new document was widely considered to be a more acceptable starting point for discussions, although most Missions had sent the document to capitals for detailed reaction. Lim distributed the document to the interested ROKG agencies and will work over the coming days to formulate a position. Lim promised to forward the ROKG position, once formulated and was interested in any additional U.S. reaction, particularly with respect to the new draft outcome document. STANTON