VZCZCXRO8091
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHUL #1865/01 3290830
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 250830Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6334
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNKOR/KOREA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG PRIORITY 5355
RUACAAA/COMUSKOREA INTEL SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSFK SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SEOUL 001865 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2029 
TAGS: PREL PINR ECIN ASEAN KS VM CB TH XC
SUBJECT: "GLOBAL KOREA" TAKES OFF IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 
 
Classified By: POL M/C James L. Wayman.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  President Lee Myung-bak's vision of a 
"Global Korea" has been on prominent display in Southeast 
Asia during 2009.  A key part of that vision is the New Asia 
Initiative, premised on the idea that Korea can play a 
"bridging role" between the developed and developing world. 
Central to the NAI's success is a significant increase in ROK 
ODA, a large share of which is earmarked for Southeast Asian 
nations -- and Vietnam foremost among them.  Comment:  We 
will continue to urge the ROKG to include engaging Burma on 
human rights as part of the NAI.  End summary and comment. 
 
"Global Korea" Begins in Southeast Asia 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) During the past year, President Lee Myung-bak's vision 
of a "Global Korea" has been on prominent display in 
Southeast Asia.  Lee announced his New Asia Initiative (NAI) 
as a prelude to March summits in Indonesia and Australia, 
hosted the ROK-ASEAN Summit in June, and in October held 
summits in Vietnam and Cambodia en route to the ASEAN Summit 
in Thailand.  While the ROK has always given high priority to 
relations with Japan and China -- what one MOFAT official 
described as the ROK's "front yard" -- the New Asia 
Initiative aims to devote more attention to what the same 
official termed Korea's "back yard." 
 
"Bridging" Role for Emerging Economies 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) At the core of the NAI is the premise that the ROK can 
play a "bridging role" between the developed and developing 
world, according to Lee Sang-ryol, Deputy Director of MOFAT's 
Southeast Asia Division.  He asserted that as an emerging 
"middle power," the ROK is uniquely qualified to provide 
technical assistance to developing Southeast Asian countries 
because the ROK is "more like them" than larger, more 
established, developed countries.  Assisting countries of 
similar scale in replicating the ROK's economic and political 
success is perhaps Seoul's greatest comparative advantage as 
it seeks to play a larger role in global affairs, Lee 
suggested. 
 
¶4. (C) Also central to the NAI is a large amount of ROK 
Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).  According to the 
Korea International Cooperation Agency, Seoul plans to double 
its ODA budget by 2012 and triple it by 2015 when measured as 
a percentage of GDP; final ROK 2009 ODA spending is projected 
to be 862 million USD.  MOFAT's Lee Sang-ryol stressed that 
Southeast Asian nations would continue to receive a large 
share of the ROK's growing ODA budget. 
 
Vietnam:  Seoul is Where the Action Is 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) One of the countries that stands to benefit the most 
is Vietnam, currently the ROK's second largest recipient of 
ODA (behind only Iraq).  Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Tien Van, 
a veteran Korea hand and fluent Korean speaker, told us that 
while Vietnam maintains cordial relations with Pyongyang, his 
guidance from Hanoi is to use the NAI to strengthen trade, 
people-to-people, political, and defense ties with the ROK. 
Echoing a point made to us by MOFAT interlocutors, Ambassador 
Pham noted it was Hanoi that had first proposed upgrading 
bilateral relations, in August of 2008, from "comprehensive" 
to a "strategic" partnership.  The upgrade, one of the main 
deliverables from Lee Myung-bak's October visit, means the 
two sides will hold routine, senior-level dialogue on 
economic, political, and military issues, and regularize 
exchanges between vice foreign ministers and senior defense 
officials. 
 
¶6. (C) MOFAT's Lee Sang-ryol said that the expeditious 
handling of a small group of North Korean refugees on the eve 
of President Lee's visit was another strong indicator of the 
increasing importance Hanoi attached to improved ties with 
Seoul.  The Vietnamese government had discreetly allowed nine 
North Korean refugees, who in September had entered the 
Danish Embassy in Hanoi, to depart for the ROK literally 
minutes before President Lee's arrival.  Such a gesture would 
have been  "unthinkable" just a few years ago, Director Lee 
emphasized, as Hanoi would have been much more concerned 
 
SEOUL 00001865  002 OF 002 
 
 
about damaging its relations with Pyongyang. 
 
The Thai View:  Not So New 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) Thai Embassy Political Officer Nattaphon Sapsinthoon, 
while acknowledging that ASEAN nations were clearly eager for 
closer ties and increased economic cooperation with the ROK, 
downplayed the significance of President Lee's initiative. 
He observed that the ROK appeared to be trying to play 
catch-up with Japan and China, each of which is strengthening 
ties with ASEAN members.  He added that the NAI had a 
relatively narrow focus on newly emerging economies like 
Vietnam and Cambodia where the ROKG believes it can offer 
assistance based on its own successful experience.  Because 
Thailand was further along the developmental curve, 
Sapsinthoon said, the NAI would have far less significance 
for Bangkok. 
 
The Personal Touch 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (C) Echoing a point made by Ambassador Pham, MOFAT's Lee 
Sang-ryol attributed the success of President Lee's visits to 
Cambodia and Vietnam to MB's Hyundai-era personal 
relationships with top Cambodian and Vietnamese leaders.  For 
example, Director Lee noted that, before entering politics, 
MB served as an economic adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister 
Hun Sen.  The PM highlighted his relationship with MB by 
giving the ROK president an extended personal tour of Angkor 
Wat.  Similarly, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham related that MB 
has a strong personal bond with President Triet that was on 
display at a banquet during MB's visit.  According to Pham, 
the two presidents drank 10 shots of whiskey, referring to 
each other as "brothers." 
STEPHENS