VZCZCXYZ0013
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #1144 2012233
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 202233Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5067
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1279

UNCLAS SEOUL 001144 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PREF ET KE SO KS
SUBJECT: ROK'S RESPONSE TO DONOR SUPPORT FOR ETHIOPIA, 
SOMALIA AND KENYA 
 
REF: STATE 70789 
 
¶1. (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified and not/not 
intended for Internet distribution. 
 
¶2. (SBU) EMin delivered reftel demarche on assistance for the 
immediate humanitarian needs in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya 
to Director General Park Gang-ho, head of the Development 
Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
Trade.  EMin commended the USD 100 million, 3-year pledge by 
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak for the Food Security 
Initiative supporting agricultural production and food 
security of developing nations at the G-8 summit in L'Aquila, 
Italy.  EMin communicated the urgent need for humanitarian 
aid and stressed that the goal was to raise additional 
funding for aid without tapping the L'Aquila food security 
pledges. 
 
¶3. (SBU) DG Park stated that while the amount of South 
Korea's humanitarian assistance is small, South Korea is 
making efforts to increase the amount of aid.  This year's 
budget for humanitarian assistance has been set at USD 15 
million but not all allocations have been determined. 
Humanitarian assistance as need-based emergency aid may be 
provided according to South Korea's assessment of urgent 
humanitarian crises and budget allowance.  DG Park noted that 
South Korea shared U.S. concerns with respect to Ethiopia, 
Kenya, and Somalia.  A portion of the USD 15 million aid 
budget has already been designated for Africa through the 
U.N.-led Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP).  All of South 
Korea's contributions to the Consolidated Appeal Process for 
the year have been allocated to Africa.  He pointed out that 
South Korea maintains bilateral assistance programs for 
Ethiopia and Kenya, but that bilateral assistance to Somalia 
is difficult due to security.  He noted that South Korea has 
already provided USD 600,000 to Somalia in humanitarian food 
aid this year through the World Food Program (WFP).  In 
addition, South Korea agreed in April in Brussels to provide 
USD 500,000 towards humanitarian aid to Somalia through the 
African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).  DG Park noted 
that during this meeting, most attention was paid to Somalia 
based the U.N's assessment of Somalia to be one of the 
countries most in need of aid along with the Democratic 
Republic of Congo and Sudan. 
 
¶4. (SBU) DG Park provided additional details regarding South 
Korea's pledge of USD 100 million to the Food Security 
Initiative.  A 25 percent share of the USD 100 million will 
be distributed through the World Food Program while the 
remaining 75 percent will be distributed as bilateral 
assistance.  The USD 100 million budget will be equally 
distributed over three years.  DG Park stated that South 
Korea anticipates devoting some of the money currently 
planned for the World Food Program to humanitarian aid, 
noting that humanitarian assistance contributes to food 
security.  DG Park assured EMin that South Korea will not use 
all of its L'Aquila 2009 pledge towards the horn of Africa 
since South Korea has humanitarian aid commitments to other 
regions and countries and specific allocations have yet to be 
decided.  However, DG Park underscored that South Korea would 
consider U.S. request for assistance in humanitarian needs in 
the horn of Africa. 
STEPHENS