VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #2190/01 1840535
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 030535Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8773
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0890
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0958
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J2 SEOUL KOR
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA SCJS SEOUL KOR
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OSD/ISA/EAP//

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 002190 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2014 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KS
SUBJECT: SOHN HAK-KYU, THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF KOREA? 
OUTGOING GYEONGGI PROVINCE GOVERNOR MAKES HIS CASE 
 
REF: SEOUL 1920 
 
Classified By: Amb. Alexander Vershbow.  Reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) Sohn Hak-kyu (GNP), outgoing Gyeonggi Province 
Governor and presidential hopeful, outlined his 
qualifications and vision for leading the ROK to the 
Ambassador June 29.  Sohn currently trails other presidential 
hopefuls in the polls, but hopes to bolster his standing as 
the "progressive" conservative with a 100-day tour of Korea 
he will kick off on July 1.  Sohn underscored that he 
understood the need for close U.S.-ROK relations, had a track 
record for increasing jobs, and comprehended globalization. 
Further, because of his dealings with North Korea through 
projects such as the North Korean Farm Village Modernization 
Project, he was best suited to manage one of the ROK's most 
sensitive relationships.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SOHN: THE "REFORM" CONSERVATIVE 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Gyeonggi Province Governor Sohn Hak-kyu (GNP) 
explained to the Ambassador during a June 29 lunch that he 
would begin a 100-day tour of Korea July 1, immediately after 
his tenure as governor, to "see what people want."  During 
the tour, he planned to win over the middle-aged, young, and 
undecided voters who would determine the outcome of the 2007 
presidential election.  To become a truly advanced nation, 
the ROK needed to reform and maintain the values of 
conservatism.  Toward that end, he said, reform-minded 
members of the Grand National Party (GNP) planned to put 
forward their own "surprise" candidate for the GNP 
chairmanship at the July 11 leadership convention.  (NOTE: 
Younger, reform-minded members were responsible for putting 
former Rep. Oh Se-hoon into the Seoul mayoral race, usurping 
the party's bid against far more seasoned GNP politicians, 
and thus demonstrating their influence.   On June 30, they 
nominated Kwon Young-se to run in the chairman's race.  END 
NOTE.) 
 
¶3.  (SBU) While Sohn would not comment on the other 
presidential hopefuls, such as former Chairwoman Park 
Geun-hye and outgoing Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, he implied 
he was the best candidate because of his proven leadership 
governing the most populous and most "important" province in 
Korea; his long and close ties with the U.S.; and his clear 
vision for the ROK.  Irrespective of gender, the next 
President needed to be a moral, capable individual with a 
vision -- someone who understood the world and global trends 
and could strengthen the ROK's competitiveness through 
technology and knowledge industries, Sohn said.  He had an 
excellent track record of attracting businesses -- both 
foreign and domestic -- and creating jobs, thus demonstrating 
his ability to move Korea forward.  (NOTE:  As governor, Sohn 
has been credited with attracting foreign investment worth 
$13.6 billion from 88 different firms to Gyeonggi and 
creating some 560,000 jobs.  In April 2006, LG Philips 
launched operation of the world's largest flat panel plant in 
Paju.  The new plant is expected to create over 90,000 jobs. 
END NOTE.) 
 
U.S.-ROK RELATIONS 
------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C) Sohn acknowledged that U.S.-ROK relations could and 
should be better.  He blamed President Roh for the poor state 
of bilateral relations, accenting that it was a shame 
Presidents Bush and Roh had not spoken in many months.  He 
warmly remembered his work on the Pyeongtaek USFK base 
expansion and his role in aiding the reconciliation between 
the ROK and USFK after the 2002 accident involving two school 
girls.  He hoped Korea would get accepted into the Visa 
Waiver Program (VWP) soon and explained that the visa problem 
affected people's daily lives and outlook toward the U.S.  On 
the FTA, the Governor added that he hoped the U.S. could be 
more empathetic toward farmers' and movie industry workers' 
points of view but noted he was confident a KORUS FTA would 
be ratified by the National Assembly. 
 
ENGAGING WITH THE DPRK 
 
---------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Sohn said he had a vision to change North Korea, one 
village at a time.  In the "North Korean Farm Village 
Modernization Project," which he helped to institute in 2005 
in Dang Kok Ri south of Pyongyang, South Korean experts have 
been teaching new farming methods and sharing agricultural 
techniques with Dang Kok Ri farmers, providing aide to 
village schools and clinics, and supporting other basic 
infrastructure needs to improve rice production and raise the 
standard of living.  The project was akin to the "New Village 
Movement," which contributed to the modernization of South 
Korea during the 1970s.  Dang Kok Ri, Sohn said, has been so 
productive (doubling output) that the DPRK asked Gyeonggi 
Province to expand the venture ten-fold. 
 
¶6.  (C) Sohn also hoped to show South Koreans that economic 
engagement with the DPRK, without a political motive, was 
also financially beneficial to the ROK.  He wanted to take 
advantage of the Kaesong Industrial Complex project by 
converting areas in Paju and Gimpo in Gyeonggi Province into 
free economic zones to increase trade. 
 
¶7.  (C) Sohn characterized his dealings with North Korea as 
very different from other South Koreans.  He believed in 
economic engagement, but he would not let his vision get 
eclipsed by DPRK propaganda.  For example, last fall he did 
not attend the harvest festival at Dang Kok Ri village 
because the DPRK insisted he attend the propagandistic 
"Arirang" festival.  On his last visit in June, he succeeded 
in getting references to Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il excised 
from a student performance.  The road to opening North Korea 
is through increased "inevitable" economic links, Sohn 
stated, but this should not be linked to political propaganda. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Although Sohn has consistently trailed in polls 
behind GNP rivals Park and Lee,  he is considered a serious 
contender because younger, reform-minded GNP members support 
him.  Further, critics speculate a candidate as conservative 
as Lee or Park may not be able to win the presidency.  Such 
sentiments will help Sohn as he has positioned himself as a 
progressive but balanced and pragmatic politician.  If recent 
polls are indicative of a trend, voters seem to be showing a 
strong preference for leaders who can address economic 
concerns and other issues in a pragmatic way.  This was most 
evident in the May 31 regional elections, which dealt a 
severe blow to President Roh and the ruling Uri Party -- both 
seen as too ideological and removed from the day-to-day 
concerns of South Koreans.  If Sohn's 100-day tour is a big 
hit, he could very well become a serious challenger to Lee 
Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye for the GNP nomination.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
BIO INFORMATION ON SOHN HAK-KYU 
------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Born in 1947 in Gyeonggi Province, Sohn was elected 
governor in 2002.  Prior to that, he was a member of the 
14th, 15th, and 16th National Assemblies (1993-2002). 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Sohn was involved in the pro-democracy movement of 
the 1970s and 80s, taking leadership roles in politically 
active Christian organizations such as the Korea Special 
Missionary Committee for the Metropolitan Area (manager, 
1973-77), the Korea National Council of Churches (manager, 
1977-80; member of the Unification Committee, 1991), and the 
Institute for the Study of Korean Christian Social Issues 
(director, 1986-87).  After earning his Ph.D. from Oxford 
University, Sohn taught international relations at various 
universities in the ROK, including Inha University (1989-90) 
and Sogang University (1990-93).  In 1993, he won a seat in 
the National Assembly on the ticket of President Kim 
Young-sam's Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), forerunner of 
today's Grand National Party (GNP).  He held a series of 
high-profile positions in the party, including chairman of 
the International Organizations Committee (1995), spokesman 
(1995), and chairman of the Policy Coordination Committee 
(1996).  During his second term in the National Assembly, he 
was named Minister of Health and Welfare (1996-97).  In 1998, 
he resigned from the Assembly to run for governor of Gyeonggi 
 
Province; he was defeated then, but won in 2002. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Sohn, who studied in the UK (1980-86) and was a 
visiting professor at George Washington University 
(1999-2000), speaks fluent English and has actively sought 
contact with successive U.S. Ambassadors.  Sohn is married 
with two daughters.  He enjoys golf. 
VERSHBOW