VZCZCXRO2585
OO RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBS #1658 3441339
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 101339Z DEC 09
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE
RUSBPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001658 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM, EAP 
STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA 
USFOR-A FOR POLAD 
TREASURY FOR TFI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2019 
TAGS: MARR MOPS EAID PINS PGOV PREL EUN SW PK IN
AF, KS 
SUBJECT: SRAP HOLBROOKE'S DEC 4 MEETING WITH KOREAN DEPUTY 
FM LEE 
 
REF: A. KABUL 3852 
     ¶B. USEU BRUSSELS 1639 
     ¶C. USEU BRUSSELS 1638 
     ¶D. USEU BRUSSELS 1637 
 
Classified By: USEU POL M-C CHRISTOPHER DAVIS FOR REASON 1.4 B/D 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: SRAP Holbrooke met with South Korean Deputy 
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Lee Yong-joon on the 
margins of the December 4 NATO Ministerial in Brussels.  Lee 
said the Korean Parliament would discuss the GOK's planned 
PRT for Afghanistan in approximately two weeks.  Korean firms 
are facing shortages of manpower and materials, but the GOK 
hopes to open its PRT by July 2010.  The GOK plans to 
contribute 40 trainers to the PRT but has not yet defined 
their mission.  The GIROA has asked Korea for training in two 
main areas:  emergency first aid and taekwondo.  Lee plans to 
be in Washington December 17-18.  He expressed an interest in 
meeting Holbrooke's team and inquired about the possibility 
of Treasury-led training on illicit finance issues.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C) SRAP Holbrooke held a bilateral meeting with South 
Korean Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Lee 
Yong-joon on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministerial on 
December 4 in Brussels.  Holbrooke welcomed the news of 
Lee,s recent appointment as Korea,s Special Representative 
for Afghanistan and Pakistan, announced in November when 
Korea put forth its plans for a PRT in Afghanistan's Parwan 
Province (ref A).  Holbrooke welcomed him to the special 
envoys group, and mentioned the upcoming special 
representatives meeting to be held in Abu Dhabi January 
11-12, 2010.  Lee welcomed the opportunity to engage with 
SRAP counterparts. 
 
¶3.  (C) Lee said that he was interested in discussing 
practical details of his country's contributions to the ISAF 
mission.  Lee said that Korea would probably commit 
approximately 40 police/trainers to a planned police training 
center within its PRT.  He could not say if these would be 
paramilitary police, since Korea does not yet have a firm 
plan for how to use personnel in Afghanistan.  "Since we have 
40 people, we can be creative and decide later," he stressed. 
 Lee did note, however, that the GIROA had asked Korea for 
training in two areas:  emergency first aid and taekwondo. 
Lee said that taekwondo was taken seriously in Afghanistan 
and that an Afghan national had won a bronze medal in the 
sport during the 2008 Olympic Games. 
 
¶4.  (C) Lee expects Korea's Parliament to discuss issues 
surrounding the PRT in approximately two weeks.  If GOK plans 
are approved, as is expected, Korea will begin construction 
of its PRT in early March 2010.  The GOK hopes to open the 
PRT by July 2010, but Korean construction companies currently 
face shortages of manpower and materials.  Lee stressed that 
"Korea is committed to opening the PRT as soon as possible." 
 
¶5.  (C) During an informal exchange with SRAP Holbrooke's 
delegation after the bilateral meeting, Lee spoke of his 
desire to work closely with the United States in Afghanistan. 
 He said that Korea would make office space within its PRT 
available for USG use.  He also expressed a willingness to 
meet with Holbrooke's team during his next visit to 
Washington, currently scheduled for December 17-18.  Finally, 
after contemplating the sources of funding to the Taliban, 
Lee inquired about the possibility of U.S. Treasury-led 
technical training on illicit finance issues. 
 
¶6.  (U) The SRAP delegation did not review this cable. 
 
MURRAY 
.