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FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7098
INFO RUCNKOR/KOREA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUACAAA/COMUSKOREA INTEL SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSFK SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000254 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2030 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI MARR ECON KN KS CH
SUBJECT: A/S CAMPBELL'S FEBRUARY 4 MEETINGS WITH FM YU AND 
AMBASSADOR WI SUNG-LAC 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Tokola.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) During a February 4 meeting with EAP A/S Kurt 
Campbell, ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan noted that ROK 
civil society organizations and private citizens had donated 
nearly 10 million USD to the earthquake relief effort. 
Campbell praised the ROK's Haiti response and noted that 
strategic bilateral consultations should include discussion 
of how the United States can support President Lee's "Global 
Korea" vision.  Yu agreed with Campbell's observation that 
current tensions in Sino-American relations meant Beijing 
would not be forward-leaning about convening a new round of 
the Six Party Talks.  Yu called for Presidents Lee and Obama 
to make short joint visit to the Korean War Memorial during 
the April nuclear summit in Washington.  Yu said that during 
his upcoming working lunch with the Secretary he may raise 
the issue of delaying the planned April 2012 transfer of 
wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States to 
Korea.  In a separate discussion, ROK Special Representative 
for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Wi Sung-lac 
told Campbell that a North-South summit was not imminent.  Wi 
cautioned that the Chinese may be preparing to raise the 
issue of easing UN sanctions on North Korea.  End summary. 
 
 
Haiti/Global Korea 
------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) During a February 4 meeting with Assistant Secretary 
for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, ROK Foreign 
Minister Yu Myung-hwan said he was surprised by the 
outpouring of public support for Haiti, noting that civil 
society organizations and private citizens had donated nearly 
10 million USD to the earthquake relief effort.  He said a 
small Korean PKO contingent would deploy to Haiti by February 
¶11.  Campbell praised the ROK response to the earthquake and 
noted that the regular senior-level strategic consultations 
between Seoul and Washington should include discussion of how 
the United States can support President Lee's "Global Korea" 
vision.  The U.S. think-tank community, and private sector, 
could add value to such a discussion, Campbell added. 
Difficulties with China 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Yu agreed with Campbell's observation that the current 
tensions in Sino-American relations meant Beijing would not 
be forward-leaning about calling a new round of the Six Party 
Talks (6PT).  Yu stressed that China needed to do more to 
help get the talks back on track; it was Beijing's 
responsibility, he said, to get Pyongyang back to the 6PT. 
 
Joint Lee-Obama Visit to Korean War Memorial? 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Yu related that President Lee planned to visit the 
Korean War Memorial during his visit to Washington for the 
April nuclear summit.  He asked whether President Obama might 
be able to join MB for "10 minutes or so" at the memorial, 
noting that a joint appearance would be powerfully symbolic. 
Campbell agreed it would be a great gesture but cautioned 
that given the large number of visitors to Washington for the 
nuclear summit it would be difficult to arrange additional 
events. 
 
About OPCON Transfer... 
----------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Yu said that during his February 26 working lunch with 
the Secretary he may raise the issue of delaying the planned 
April 2012 transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) 
from the United States to Korea.  The majority of 
conservatives in the ROK felt "uneasy" about the transfer 
given continued provocations from North Korea.  We need to 
talk about the OPCON issue more frankly, Yu said, stressing 
that the two sides needed to "calm public concerns."  Yu 
asserted that OPCON transfer needed to be linked more closely 
with USFK's move from Seoul to Pyongtaek, which was slated to 
happen by 2016; perhaps a one or two year delay in the 
transfer of OPCON would be appropriate, Yu added.  Campbell 
stressed that the United States was prepared to listen to 
Korean concerns about the issue.  He said the strongest U.S. 
bilateral relationship in Asia is with the ROK, and the USG 
would do nothing to harm it. 
 
Meeting with Ambassador Wi 
 
-------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Prior to the discussion with FM Yu, Campbell met with 
ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and 
Security Affairs Wi Sung-lac.  Wi downplayed press 
speculation that a North-South summit was imminent.  It was 
clear, Wi said, that Pyongyang still viewed Washington, not 
Seoul, as its main "channel" for dialogue.  In addition, Wi 
stressed, now was not the time to show any flexibility on 
peace regime discussions with the North; the focus needed to 
be on denuclearization.  Campbell said the U.S. was in 
complete agreement, noting that the "toughest North Korea 
desk officer in Washington is President Obama." 
 
¶7. (C) Wi cautioned that the Chinese may be preparing to 
raise the issue of easing UN sanctions on North Korea. 
Campbell agreed with Wi's observation that Seoul and 
Washington had to be united against this Chinese approach. 
Moreover, Wi said, a case involving suspected torpedo testing 
equipment had raised fresh ROK concerns about the PRC's 
willingness to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1874. 
STEPHENS