Cablegate: Republic of Korea: 1987 Annual Terrorism Report

P 162320Z MAR 88
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8310
INFO COMUSKOREA SEOUL KS//CJ-CT//

UNCLAS SEOUL 03040

S/CT FOR WHARTON

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER KS
SUBJECT: REPUBLIC OF KOREA: 1987 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: STATE 42378

1. UNCLASSIFIED SECTION FOR THE REPORT FOR THE REPUBLIC OF
KOREA FOLLOWS:

I. REVIEW OF MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN,
INCLUDING STEPS TAKEN IN INTERNATIONAL FORA.

A. INTRODUCTION

AFTER YEARS OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING INFILTRATION BY NORTH
KOREAN COMMANDO TEAMS AND AGENTS, AND HAVING SUFFERED
TERRORIST ATTACKS SUCH AS THE 1983 RANGOON BOMBING, THE
ROKG IS CONCERNED OVER TERRORISM. THAT CONCERN HAS
HEIGHTENED IN ANTICIPATION OF THE SEPTEMBER 1988 SUMMER
OLYMPICS TO BE HELD IN SEOUL AND WITH THE NOVEMBER 1987
DESTRUCTION OF KA 858 BY A CONFESSED NORTH KOREAN AGENT.
PLANNING FOR THE OLYMPICS HAS ENCOURAGED THE ROKG TO
CONSIDER TERRORISM FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, ALTHOUGH
NORTH KOREA AND PRO-NORTH KOREAN GROUPS BASED IN JAPAN SUCH
AS THE CHOSEN SOREN WILL CONTINUE AS THE PREDOMINANT FOCUS
OF THEIR ATTENTION.

B. MAJOR STEPS TAKEN

1)BILATERAL COOPERATION WITH THE U.S.

THE ROKG AND USG HELD BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS ON TERRORISM
IN WASHINGTON IN SEPTEMBER OF 1987. THE DISCUSSIONS LED
TO BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF EACH SIDE'S ORGANIZATION FOR
DEALING WITH TERRORISM AND TO SPECIFIC COOPERATIVE
ARRANGEMENTS FOR INFORMATION SHARING, TRAINING, AND
MILITARY PREPAREDNESS.

CLASSIFIED SOURCE MATERIAL:

1) SEPTEL.
2) DETAILS OF THE AGENDA OF THIS MEETING SHOULD BE ON
FILE IN S/CT.
3) 87 STATE 311198 CONTAINS A PRELIMINARY READOUT ON THE
CONSULTATIONS
4) 87 STATE 371296 OUTLINES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
COOPERATIVE ACTION AMONG A VARIETY OF ROKG AND USG
AGENCIES, ALMOST ALL OF WHICH ARE NOW IN PLACE.

2)BILATERAL COOPERATION WITH JAPAN

JAPAN HAS AGREED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT ROK-JAPAN
COMMITTEE WHICH WILL MEET ON A BIMONTHLY BASIS TO
COORDINATE ANTITERRORISM COOPERATION RELATED TO THE
OLYMPICS. FINAL MINISTERIAL DISCUSSIONS ON ESTABLISHMENT
OF THE COMMITTEE TAKE PLACE ON 20 MARCH 1988.

3)UNITED NATIONS ACTIVITIES

THE ROKG IS LIMITED TO OBSERVER STATUS IN THE UNITED
NATIONS BUT IS SUPPORTIVE OF MEASURES AGAINST TERRORISM.
IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH US IT INTRODUCED THE DESTRUCTION
OF KA 858 INTO THE SECURITY COUNCIL FOR DEBATE, AND ITS
CAREFULLY MARSHALLED ARGUMENTS CONTRIBUTED IMPORTANTLY TO
THAT BODY'S UNDERSTANDING OF NORTH KOREA'S RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE ACT.

II. RESPONSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING
EXTRADITION REQUESTS, WITH RESPECT TO MATTERS
RELATING TO TERRORISM AFFECTING AMERICAN CITIZENS
OR FACILITIES.

THE U.S. HAS NO EXTRADITION TREATY WITH THE ROKG.
ALTHOUGH WE SUSPECT THAT THE ROKG WOULD BE WILLING TO
CONSIDER THE EXTRADITION OF TERRORISTS TO THE U.S. ON A
CASE-BY-CASE BASIS (SEE SEPTEL), WE CANNOT EXPECT THAT
TERRORISTS GUILTY OF ACTIONS AGAINST AMERICAN CITIZENS OR
FACILITIES WOULD BE EXTRADITED AS A MATTER OF COURSE.

III. THE ROKG OFFERS NO SUPPORT, POLITICAL, FINANCIAL OR
DIPLOMATIC, FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. IT SUPPORTS
NEITHER THE PLO OR FMLN.
LILLEY

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