(C) KUDOS FOR ROK EMBASSY APPLAUDS ASO; FEARS

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 071038 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2034 TAGS: PINR ECON ETRD PGOV PREL JA KS SUBJECT: (C) KUDOS FOR ROK EMBASSY APPLAUDS ASO; FEARS FOR U.S.-JAPAN RELATIONS UNDER DJP (C-AL9-01499) REF: TOKYO 000421 Classified By: SUZANNE MCCORMICK, DIR., INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C). ¶1. (C) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS FOUND TOKYO 000421 TO BE A VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE REPORT. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST WERE THE INSIGHTS INTO HOW SOUTH KOREA VIEWS ACTIONS TOWARD THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF JAPAN (DPJ),SPECIFICALLY THAT KIM NOTED HIS EMBASSY HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING CONTACTS WITH THE DPJ AND INDICATED NO PARTICULAR CONCERNS OVER THE FUTURE OF JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA TIES UNDER A DPJ-LED ADMINISTRATION. WASHINGTON ANALYSTS ALSO APPRECIATED THE INSIGHTS INTO SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT LEE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ASO, SPECIFICALLY KIM'S TAKE THAT ASO HAS A KEEN INTEREST IN SOUTH KOREA AND THAT BOTH LEE AND KIM SHARE SIMILAR VIEWS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEIR COUNTRIES AND HAVE ESTABLISHED GOOD PERSONAL RELATIONS. CLINTON