Cablegate: Unga Follow Up Demarche Delivered

VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #3463 3390726
ZNR UUUUU ZZH(CCY ADX37FBB1 MSI3520 540A)
P 050726Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7597
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3510
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 8373
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3648
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA SCJS SEOUL KOR
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OSD/ISA/EAP//

UNCLAS SEOUL 003463

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE, SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED CAPTION)
FOR DRL/MLGA GIANNA PAZ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KS KN
SUBJECT: UNGA FOLLOW UP DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: STATE 161770

1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel points on December 4 to
MOFAT's Deputy Director of Human Rights and Social Affairs,
Jang Hyun-cheol and First Secretary Kim Pil-woo. Jang said
that the ROK decision to abstain on the North Korea Human
Rights Resolution came only after "painful discussions"
within MOFAT and with other government ministries. Jang
alluded to reports that Foreign Minister Song Min-soon had
fought hard for this issue given MOFAT's opinion that the ROK
should vote in support of the resolution while other ROK
ministries were reportedly against the motion. Jang said
that the ROK had seen draft language as early as November 8
when the resolution was officially tabled but had also
consulted with Europen Union colleagues prior to that time to
provide the ROK perspective on the language. In the end, the
final decision to abstain was made just two hours before the
vote, Jang said. Now that the ROKG had made its official
decision on the matter, it would continue to abide by this
decision in the weeks ahead when the plenary takes up the
resolution.

2. (SBU) On the ROKG's voting pattern on resolutions
relating to Iran, Jang said that the ROK had consistently
voted against no-action motions and then abstained when the
resolution was brought to a vote. This pattern had been
followed by the ROK since 1993 and was not a new way of
thinking. Jang did not comment as to whether the ROK had any
plans to change its voting pattern on Iran resolutions in the
near future.
VERSHBOW

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