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C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000182 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2015 
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP MNUC KS
SUBJECT: ROK STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE OF U.S. POSITION ON IRAN'S 
NUCLEAR PROGRAM 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 6236 
     ¶B. SEOUL 166 
 
Classified By: A/POL SUNG Y. KIM.  Reasons 1.4 (b), (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) In response to ref A demarche urging support for efforts 
to refer Iran to the Security Council for its violation of 
its commitments under the Paris Agreement, ROK officials 
expressed strong support for efforts to bring Iran back into 
compliance with its IAEA obligations during January 13 
meeting.  Separately, a MOFAT official reported that during a 
January 11 meeting with visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign 
Minister Safari, FM Ban expressed deep regret over Iran's 
decision to resume its nuclear activities.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) On January 13, poloff briefed ref a points, which 
requested support for the referral of Iran to the Security 
Council, to Kwon Hee-seog, Director of the Disarmament and 
Nonproliferation Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
and Trade (MOFAT).  After reviewing the points, Kwon noted 
that MOFAT was familiar with the U.S. position on Iran's 
recent decision to unseal nuclear reprocessing facilities, 
citing a recent discussion on the Iranian nuclear program 
between Under Secretary Joseph and Deputy Foreign Minister 
Chun Young-Woo.  Kwon stated that like the United States, the 
ROK considered the recent unsealing of nuclear reprocessing 
facilities a very troubling development and hoped that the 
issue could be solved quickly through diplomatic, peaceful 
means.  Kwon added that the ROK strongly supported adherence 
to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rules by all 
countries, including North Korea and Iran, as well as 
international efforts to uphold the principles of the 
Non-Proliferation Treaty to prevent the spread of Weapons of 
Mass Destruction (WMD). 
 
¶3.  (C) Noting press reports that senior envoys from the 
United States, Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia 
planned to meet on January 16 in London in an effort to raise 
pressure on Iran, Kwon expressed support for efforts to 
convince China and Russia to increase their diplomatic 
efforts to bring Iran into compliance with IAEA obligations 
and regulations.  For its part, the ROK had also encouraged 
Iranian compliance with IAEA obligations, said Kwon, noting 
ref b meeting on January 11 between Foreign Minister Ban 
Ki-moon and Iranian Vice Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari, 
during which Ban urged Iranian cooperation with the EU3 and 
encouraged Iran to open its nuclear programs to international 
inspections. 
 
¶4.  (C) In a separate meeting to discuss Iranian Vice Foreign 
Minister Safari's trip to Seoul, Ahn Seong-doo, Director of 
the Middle East Division at MOFAT, told poloff on January 12 
that in meetings with ROK officials Safari had explained 
Iran's nuclear research and development program and sought 
South Korean "understanding."  During a 40-minute meeting 
with Foreign Minister Ban and a 50-minute meeting with 1st 
Vice Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, VFM Safari emphasized 
the domestic pressures his government was under to continue 
nuclear development for technological and energy purposes and 
not nuclear weapon development.  VFM Safari insisted that as 
a member of the NPT and IAEA, Tehran had the right to conduct 
nuclear development.  Prior to his arrival in Seoul on 
January 10, the Iranian Industry Ministry on January 8 had 
announced that restrictions on South Korean and British 
exports were being lifted.  Ahn said VFM Safari did not 
repeat the sanction threat Tehran made in October to visiting 
South Korean 2nd Vice Minister Lee Kyu-hyung, but Safari 
underlined that Tehran saw a connection between international 
political issues and bilateral economic relations, a point he 
reportedly also made in meetings with South Korean lawmakers 
and business officials in Seoul. 
 
¶5.  (C) Foreign Minister Ban and Vice Foreign Minister Yu had 
registered "deep regret" with Safari over the resumption of 
Iran's nuclear activities, said Ahn, and reiterated Seoul's 
hopes for a diplomatic resolution of the issue that would 
avoid reference to the Security Council.  ROKG officials had 
also pressed Safari to delink the nuclear issue from 
bilateral economic relations.  Speaking personally, Ahn said 
the ROK would join with the international community if it 
decided to refer Iran to the Security Council. 
 
VERSHBOW