ROK UN PEACEKEEPING: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

UNCLAS SEOUL 000088 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MOPS PGOV PREL KS SUBJECT: ROK UN PEACEKEEPING: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE REF: SECSTATE 1223 ¶1. (U) Sensitive, but unclassifed. Not for internet distribution. ¶2. (SBU) Summary. The ROK has participated in seven UN-sanctioned peacekeeping operations (UN PKO) in the past. The ROK currently participates in eight UN PKOs, with its 367 troop contingent in Lebanon being the most significant. National Assembly members and the ROKG remain favorably disposed towards UN PKOs, but realize that legislation allowing the ROKG to quickly deploy troops is necessary. The two current proposed bills, however, highlight the debate on whether the legislation should focus on UN PKOs only or include all multilateral PKOs. The legislative process also underscores the National Assembly's reluctance about modifying their obligatory consent, even on a limited basis, before the ROKG can dispatch troops abroad. Despite the uncertain fate of the bills, the ROK remains engaged in PKO training opportunities and enthusiastic on PKO participation. End summary. -------------- Past ROK PKO Participation -------------- ¶3. (U) The ROK first participated in UN PKO operations in Somalia (UN Operations in Somalia II or UNOSOM II) during 1993-1994. From that time, the ROK participated in the following UN PKO missions: Angola (UN Angola Verification Mission II or UNAVEM II),East Timor (UN Transitional Administration in East Timor or UNTAET),Cyprus (UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus or UNFICYP),the Western Sahara (UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara or MINURSO), Burundi (UN Operations in Burundi or ONUB),and Nepal (UN Mission in Nepal or UNMIN). The ROK usually limits its participation in PKOs to sending administrative forces such as military engineers, medical assistants, and military observers. However, the ROK has dispatched military troops to East Timor (UNTAET) during 1999-2003 and Lebanon (UN Interim Force in Lebanon or UNIFIL) during 2007-present. -------------- Present ROK PKO Participation -------------- ¶4. (U) As of December 31, 2008, the ROK had 394 persons involved in eight UN PKOs in nine countries, of which 369 were troops; 24 were military observers; and 1 was a police officer. The overwhelming majority of the troops (367 - the Dongmyeong contingent, dispatched in July 2007) were in UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon),stationed in Sur (Tyre). The ROK has one soldier in UNMIL (UN Mission in Liberia) and UNMIS (UN Mission in Sudan). In regards to military observers, nine were in UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan),seven in UNOMIG (UN Observer Mission in Georgia),and one military observer in UNMIL (UN Mission in Liberia) and UNAMA (UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan). (Note. The ROK has additional, non-UN personnel in Afghanistan. End note.) The ROK has one police officer in UNMIT (UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste). ¶5. (U) As of December 31, 2008, the ROK ranked 36th of 120 contributing countries of military and police contributions to UN PKOs. As of January 1, 2008 the ROK was the 10th largest provider of assessed contributions to the UN PKO budget, contributing 2% of the total budget. -------------- Future ROK PKO Participation -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Members of the National Assembly and the ROKG remain favorably disposed to continue ROK participation in UN PKOs, though currently the National Assembly must consent to any deployment of ROK forces outside the country, UN PKO participation included. Various National Assembly members have introduced bills attempting to pre-certify the ROK's legal participation in UN PKOs and to give the ROKG the legal ability to form a standing PKO force. Currently there are two PKO bills up for consideration in the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification (FATU) Committee: one sponsored by Representative Song Young-sun and the other by Representative Kim Moo-sung. Though the bills are very similar (both authorize establishing a standing PKO force),a flashpoint between the bills is that Song's seeks to facilitate ROK participation in UN PKOs and other multilateral PKOs, while Kim's bill limits its scope to UN sanctioned PKOs only. Neither bill modifies the National Assembly consent that is mandatory before the ROKG can deploy forces abroad. ¶7. (SBU) Na Sang-deok, the Deputy Director of the UN Division within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT),on January 2 told poloff that modifying National Assembly consent in any form remains a flashpoint with the representatives. MOFAT, Na claimed, would like the National Assembly to pass legislation that provides a blanket authorization, valid for one year, renewed annually, in order to facilitate PKO planning. However, Na does not know if or how the National Assembly will resolve this issue. The ROKG, specifically the Ministry of National Defense (MND),prefers the bill that pre-certifies UN and multilateral PKO participation. A staffer for the Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Unification Committee (FATU) of the National Assembly on January 13 said that the FATU Committee will convene a subcommittee to deliberate on legal issues in February 2009, at which time the subcommittee would likely discuss the two PKO bills. Any PKO bill that emerges from the subcommittee must then pass through FATU, after which it goes to the judiciary committee and then to the entire National Assembly for ratification. ¶8. (SBU) The Korean National Police (KNP) do participate in PKOs. Currently there is one officer in UNMIT in Timor-Leste and seven police trainers in Afghanistan with the multilateral forces. Still, Na and Colonel Jeong Jin-pal (Na's counterpart of the International Peace Cooperation Division in MND),on January 7 agreed to participate in the USG's 2009 Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU). Jeong said that MND is participating in a couple of similar programs from other countries (Canada and Australia). Therefore, once he received the scheduling and program details from the USG, he would consider and coordinate MND participation in all the programs as a group. ¶9. (SBU) Comment. The ROK's military participation in Iraq, Afghanistan, and various UN PKOs reveals that securing National Assembly consent is a significant, but surmountable obstacle for the ROKG, depending on the international and domestic political situations that the ROKG faces. However, under the existing process requiring National Assembly approval, it took the ROKG a year to dispatch its troops to Lebanon following the war in summer 2006. PKO legislation that pre-certifies ROK participation in UN (and possibly multilateral) PKOs and allows MND to form a standing PKO force will make it easier for the ROKG to dispatch peacekeeping troops and to participate militarily in other UN forums such as the Contact Group on Somali Piracy. (See reftel.) STEPHENS