ROK'S RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE NEXT STEPS

UNCLAS SEOUL 000055 SENSITIVE SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO OES/EGC FOR D.NELSON, OES/ENV FOR R.KASTENBERG, OES/EGC FOR K.LARSEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG KS SUBJECT: ROK'S RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE NEXT STEPS REF: STATE 3080 ¶1. (SBU) In response to REFTEL, ESTHOFF called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Director for Climate Change and Environment Kim Hyo-eun to see if Korea had yet associated itself formally with the Copenhagen Accord at the UNFCCC Secretariat and submitted its greenhouse gas emissions targets or action plan as indicated in the Accord. ¶2. (SBU) Kim affirmed that since the ROK was one of the 28 countries that worked together with the United States to draft the Copenhagen Accord, the ROK is now taking the necessary internal bureaucratic steps and expects to complete both actions before the January 31 deadline. She noted that Korea's Ambassador for Climate Change Chung Rae-kwon will meet with U/S Stern in Washington on January 19, and will provide an update on Korea's status on both actions at that time. STEPHENS