UNCLAS SEOUL 000309

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IO PHUM UNGA KS
SUBJECT: SOUTH KOREA LIKELY TO ABSTAIN AGAIN ON GOLDSTONE

REF: STATE 15722

(SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on February 24 to Cho
Tae-ick, Director of MOFAT's Human Rights and Social Affairs
Division, urging the ROK to vote no or abstain on the
Palestinian-drafted Goldstone Report resolution tabled in the
UN General Assembly and, more generally, to avoid supporting
one-sided or counterproductive Goldstone resolutions in the
UNGA and Human Rights Council (HRC). Director Cho thanked us
for the update on the USG position and said the ROK would
most likely abstain on the Palestinian-drafted resolution at
the UNGA and the HRC Goldstone resolution, in keeping with
past practice. He pledged to relay our views immediately to
the ROK UN Missions in Geneva and New York.
TOKOLA