ROKG CONSIDERS NEW STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS IRANIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000176 SIPDIS NEA FOR ELISA CATALANO ISN FOR RICHARD NEPHEW E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2030 TAGS: PARM PREL PGOV PINR UNSC KS IR SUBJECT: ROKG CONSIDERS NEW STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS IRANIAN NUCLEAR ISSUE, REACHES OUT TO BUSINESS COMMUNITY REF: STATE 9124 Classified By: POL M/C James L. Wayman. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarche on February 5 to Koo Hyun-mo, Director of MOFAT's Disarmament and Nonproliferation Division, highlighting U.S. diplomatic efforts to engage Iran, outlining the U.S. view of next steps, and seeking ROK cooperation to increase pressure. Director Koo said the ROKG shares the USG's concerns about Iran's nuclear program. He stressed that the ROKG is fully implementing Iran-related UN Security Council resolutions and, in many ways, has "gone far beyond" Korea's international obligations. ¶2. (C) Koo emphasized that additional tougher sanctions, either UN or USG, would aid the ongoing ROKG effort to persuade Korean companies to stop doing business as usual with Iran. Koo related that Kim Jin-soo, MOFAT's Director General of MOFAT's African and Middle Eastern Affairs Bureau, met with ROK business representatives in late December to convey the ROKG position on the Iranian nuclear issue and ask that ROK companies refrain from investing in or doing business with Iran. Koo said ROKG officials would outline a more detailed approach towards Iran during ISN Deputy Assistant Secretary Tony Foley's visit to Seoul next week. STEPHENS