VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #0212 0410700
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 100700Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3203
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 5232
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 9205
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 5338
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0110
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0594
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1983
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0111
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0245

UNCLAS SEOUL 000212 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ISN/MNSA 
GENEVA PASS TO CD 
UNVIE PASS TO IAEA 
USUN PASS TO POL 
USNATO PASS TO POL 
USEU PASS TO POL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MNUC PARM PREL IAEA NPT KS
SUBJECT: ROK NPT DEMARCHE RESPONSE 
 
REF: STATE 6970 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 3. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Poloffs delivered reftel demarche on February 6 to 
Lee Jangkeun, Director of Disarmament & Nonproliferation 
Division within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade 
(MOFAT).  The Deputy Director in Lee,s office will arrive 
the week of February 9 and Lee said they will provide Poloff 
with a detailed response to the questions raised in reftel in 
the near future.  Generally speaking, Lee stated that the 
ROKG shares many of the USG,s objectives in the upcoming 
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee 
(PrepCom) and next year,s Review Conference (RevCon).  Of 
the three traditional priorities: nonproliferation, peaceful 
utilization of nuclear energy, and nuclear disarmament, the 
ROKG sees nonproliferation and peaceful utilization as its 
top priorities.  Nonproliferation is important for the 
obvious concerns regarding North Korea.  Lee said that 
because the ROK is not a nuclear supplier, peaceful 
utilization of nuclear technology is important to the ROKG as 
it is the sixth-largest nuclear power generating country. 
According to Lee, nuclear disarmament is not a top priority 
to the ROKG as its security is closely allied with the United 
States.  Lee stated the ROKG considers itself to be in the 
camp with western countries on NPT issues and expressed the 
need to work with developing nations in order to make 
progress at PrepCom and RevCon, particularly with Egypt and 
Indonesia.  Lee also said the PrepCom must make a 
determination on North Korea.  If North Korea's withdrawal 
from NPT is recognized, then other ways to get the 
International Atomic Energy Agency involved with the DPRK 
must be found.  Lee underscored the ROKG,s desire to 
maintain close contact with the U.S. delegation. 
 
¶3. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Post requests specific guidance to the 
questions below, posed by Mr. Lee: 
 
--Are there plans to appoint a new U.S. Special 
Representative for Nuclear Nonproliferation to replace 
Christopher Ford? 
 
--Who is the senior officer in the U.S. delegation for the 
NPT PrepCom and RevCon? 
 
--Regarding the NPT, what are the differences, or reordered 
priorities, from the previous administration? 
 
--Is there a new structure for the office that handles NPT 
issues in the U.S.? 
 
STEPHENS