MINISTER OF PATRIOTS AND VETERANS AFFAIRS ON ROK

UNCLAS SEOUL 000264 SENSITIVE SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION STATE FOR EAP/K E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KS SUBJECT: MINISTER OF PATRIOTS AND VETERANS AFFAIRS ON ROK PLANS FOR 60TH ANNIVERSARY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Minister Kim Yang of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA),Republic of Korea (ROK),told Ambassador Stephens on February 16 that the MPVA is planning a series of events to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War, the most significant of which will be a ceremony on September 28 to celebrate the recapture of Seoul. Minister Kim asked the Ambassador for assistance in inviting VIPs for the ceremony, potentially to include members of Congress, Clint Eastwood and Henry Kissinger. Minister Kim also suggested President Obama attend an appreciation reception or ceremony during his visit to Korea for the G20 in November. REVISIT PROGRAM TO BRING 2,400 VETERANS BACK TO KOREA -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Minister Kim said that Korea plans to invite 2,400 veterans of the Korean War from around the world to return to Korea in April-June and September-October for special Korean War commemoration events. Half of the 2,400 slots will be allocated to U.S. veterans. This will be the largest revisit program ever, according to Kim, and probably the last ceremony for the veterans, who are of advanced age and in declining health. Working through the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) in the U.S., the ROKG is identifying veterans who are able to travel and offering to pay 50 percent of the airfare for each veteran and 30 percent for a caretaker. Minister Kim estimated that are still approximately 400,000-500,000 remaining Korean War veterans worldwide, down from a peak of 1.9 million. Even with nearly half a million living veterans left, Kim suggested they were having difficulty in finding enough veterans to participate in the revisit program. He planned to reach out to additional veterans' organizations in the weeks to come. "JUNE IS FOR VETS, SEPTEMBER IS FOR VIPS" -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Minister Kim outlined the 60th Anniversary events MPVA is planning for the year, including the five major events: the June 25 opening ceremony commemorating the North Korean invasion; a Nakdong event on September 3 to commemorate the battle that marked the turning point of the war; the reenactment of the Incheon/Wolmido landing on September 15; celebration of the recapture of Seoul on September 28; and the Busan Memorial/UN Day on October 22. �A;Of these, Minister Kim said the recapture of Seoul will be the most significant both symbolically, as Seoul's liberation day, and logistically, since the weather will be appropriate for a large-scale outdoor event. Kim hoped all 21 nations that fought for Korea would send VIP delegations to meet President Lee Myung Bak and attend the ceremony. Kim mentioned Clint Eastwood and Henry Kissinger as possible U.S. delegates and said the MPVA plans to send invitations to them. Ambassador Stephens informed Minister Kim that the Embassy had already invited several Congressmen and Senators to visit this year for the 60th anniversary and offered assistance in inviting any other U.S. VIPs. USING THE G20 AS AN OPPORTUNITY -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Minister Kim told the Ambassador that French President Sarkozy planned to bring French veterans with him to attend a wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial in Suwon immediately following the G20 summit in November. Kim suggested if President Obama were available for a similar ceremony either before or after the G20, his office would coordinate the participation of Korean veterans. He emphasized that any such event would be completely separate from the G20, which is being handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT),but that the MPVA would assist any government in arranging a visit to a memorial with their veterans. APPRECIATION RECEPTIONS TO BE HELD THROUGHOUT U.S. -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Minister Kim announced that the ROK Embassy and nine Consulates in the U.S. will co-host appreciation receptions for Korean War veterans in June and July of this year. Although the receptions will be funded by the ROKG, Minister Kim expressed his hope that local governments would provide a suitable venue for each reception. THANK YOU LETTERS READY BUT LACK ADDRESSES -------------- PLANS FOR 60TH ANNIVERSARY ¶6. (SBU) Minister Kim reported that large thank you letters will be published in several major U.S. newspapers on June ¶25. In addition, the MPVA is planning to send individual letters of appreciation signed by President Lee to all known Korean War veterans around the world. The biggest challenge is tracking down each veteran's address, and Kim lamented that in the U.S. it is especially difficult due to the restrictions of the Privacy Act. Out of approximately 500,000 living American veterans, Kim estimated that the MPVA had addresses for only 100,000. ¶7. (SBU) In closing, Minister Kim told the Ambassador that he planned to travel to the U.S. in early March. He will meet with Ban Ki Moon and offer official thanks to the UN on behalf of the ROKG for making the decision to defend Korea 60 years ago. He also said he plans to pay a call on Secretary Shinseki and visit the KWVA and possibly other veterans' organizations. Ambassador Stephens assured Minister Kim that the Embassy stands ready to assist the MPVA in coordinating U.S. participation in the major events. Noting Embassy plans to center this year's Fourth of July celebration around the 60th Anniversary theme, she informed Minister Kim that she intends to use this year as an opportunity for public outreach, to educate the next generation about the history of U.S.-ROK relations and the story of Korea,s remarkable transformation. STEPHENS