VZCZCXYZ0017
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUL #1605 2810843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADC08E2D MSI1428-695)
O 080843Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5882
INFO RHMFIUU/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RUACAAA/COMUSKOREA INTEL SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSFK SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS SEOUL 001605 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ECON ETRD KS IR AF
SUBJECT: KEY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STAFFERS ON IRAN, AFGHANISTAN 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Three key National Assembly (NA) foreign policy 
staffers told us that the South Korean business community has 
been pressing the Blue House and key lawmakers to expand the 
ROK's economic ties with Iran, and other countries in the 
Middle East, and to be more aggressive in helping secure 
big-ticket construction projects in the region for ROK 
companies.  They related that Democratic Party lawmaker Song 
Min-soon, a former foreign minister, would host a Korea-Arab 
conference in December to explore ways to boost ROK cultural 
and economic ties with major countries in the Middle East. 
All of our interlocutors agreed there is bipartisan support 
for continued and possibly expanded ROK participation in 
reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.  End summary. 
 
Key National Assembly Foreign Policy Staffers 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) During a recent visit to the ROK National Assembly 
(NA), poloffs met with three key foreign policy staffers to 
get their views on the state of the ROK's relations with Iran 
and check on prospects for NA authorization of a possible ROK 
troop deployment to Afghanistan.  Our interlocutors were: 
 
-- Song Chang-wook, Chief of Staff for former ROK Foreign 
Minister and Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Song Min-soon; 
 
-- Jang Yeong-il, Chief of Staff for Kim Hak-song, Grand 
National Party (GNP) Chairman of the National Defense 
Committee (NDC); and, 
 
-- Gu Hee-kwon, Head of the NA Foreign Affairs Committee's 
professional staff. 
 
Iran:  Two-Track Approach 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Noting up front that ROK foreign policy in the 
Middle East gets little attention in the NA, Jang Yeong-il 
explained that the GNP strives to divide the ROK's relations 
with Iran into two separate tracks, one economic and the 
other political.  Echoing what we have heard from other 
interlocutors (reftel), he said the South Korean business 
community has been pressing the Blue House and key lawmakers 
to expand the ROK's economic ties with Iran, and other 
countries in the Middle East, and to be more aggressive in 
helping secure big-ticket construction projects for ROK 
companies.  In the political track, Jang said, the ROK tries 
to "be multilateral," working with like-minded countries on 
issues like Iran's nuclear program and poor human rights 
record. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Song Chang-wook indicated that the trend is for the 
ROK to expand ties with Iran and major Arab states, not curb 
them.  He said, for example, that his boss would host a 
Korea-Arab conference in December to explore ways to boost 
cultural and economic ties between the ROK and major 
countries in the Middle East. 
 
Troops to Afghanistan 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) All of our interlocutors agreed that, at present, 
there is bipartisan support for continued and possibly 
expanded ROK participation in reconstruction efforts in 
Afghanistan.  Gu Hee-kwon noted the Blue House has not yet 
approached the NA about sending soldiers to Afghanistan, 
something President Lee pledged to do during his June summit 
with President Obama.  A key point of contention between the 
GNP and DP, however, is whether the Blue House should be able 
to dispatch more troops for such missions without prior NA 
approval. 
TOKOLA