Cablegate: Rok Will Back Burma and Dprk Resolutions, but Not

VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #1806 3170825
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD380563 MSI4320 641)
O 130825Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6218
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1730
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3036
RHMFIUU/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RUACAAA/COMUSKOREA INTEL SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSFK SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS SEOUL 001806

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D COPY (SENSITIVE CAPTION ADDED)
DEPARTMENT FOR: DRL-MLGA AND IO-RHS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV UN KS KN UNGA
SUBJECT: ROK WILL BACK BURMA AND DPRK RESOLUTIONS, BUT NOT
IRAN

1. (SBU) PolOff delivered reftel demarche on 11/13 to Cho
Tae-ick, Director of MOFAT's Human Rights and Social Affairs
Division, expressing the USG's gratitude for the ROK's
principled opposition to non-action motions and support on
the DPRK and Burma resolutions. PolOff also urged the ROKG
to support the Iran resolution and provided him with the
reftel non-paper on the human rights situation in Iran.

2. (SBU) Director Cho said he expected the ROK's voting
pattern to remain the same: the ROK would, as a matter of
principle, oppose no-action motions and would again support
the Burma and North Korea resolutions. He stressed, however,

that it would be "extremely difficult" for the ROK to alter
its position on the Iran resolution; he related that, as has
been the case since 2006, the ROK would likely abstain.
Acknowledging the importance of the Iran resolution to the
USG, Cho promised to immediately pass the human rights
non-paper to the ROK UN Missions in Geneva and New York as
well as to the ROK embassy in Tehran.
STEPHENS

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