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C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000289 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CABLE CLASSIFICATION FROM 
SECRET TO CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2035 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI MARR SCUL KS JA
SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON FM OKADA'S SEOUL VISIT 
 
REF: A. TOKYO 291 
     ¶B. SEOUL 144 
 
Classified By: POL M/C James L. Wayman.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) MOFAT's new Director-General for Northeast Asian 
Affairs, Chang Won-sam, told us the ROKG was very pleased 
with Japanese Foreign Minister Okada's annexation apology 
during his February 10-11 visit to Seoul.  Chang said Okada 
had gone beyond the agreed-upon text by adding that Japan 
"should...never forget the feelings of the victims," an 
improvisation that had come across as sincere and had played 
well in the press.  The DG confirmed that MOFAT was 
coordinating with the Japanese Embassy on how best to 
negotiate "sensitive" dates this year, including the March 1 
Korean holiday commemorating the 1919 independence movement 
and the March 26 anniversary of the execution of nationalist 
hero An Jung-geun.  A Japanese Embassy contact related that, 
over lunch with Okada, FM Yu had hinted that Japan should 
"voluntarily" decide to return hundreds of volumes of Chosun 
Dynasty royal court records currently held by the Imperial 
Household Agency.  Proposed trilateral military consultations 
between Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing did not come up during 
Okada's visit, DG Chang claimed, adding that MOFAT had 
nothing to do with the proposal.  End summary. 
 
Additional Readout on Okada Visit 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
¶2. (C) During an introductory call by POL M/C, MOFAT's new 
Director-General for Northeast Asian Affairs, Chang Won-sam, 
gave us additional details on the February 10-11 visit to 
Seoul of Japanese Foreign Minister Okada.  Chang emphasized 
that the ROKG was very pleased with Okada's public apology 
for "the agony of people who lost their country and had their 
national pride harmed" as a result of Japan's forced 
annexation of Korea in 1910.  Okada had gone beyond the 
agreed-upon text by adding that Japan "should...never forget 
the feelings of the victims."  Okada's improvisation had come 
across as personal and sincere, Chang said, noting that the 
statement played well in both the ROK and Japanese press. 
 
¶3. (C) In a separate conversation, Japanese Embassy Political 
Counselor Matsuo Hirotaka seconded DG Chang's comments, 
noting the two sides had engaged in considerable discussion 
about the content of Okada's apology.  Working-level Japanese 
officials had initially balked at ROKG insistence that the 
statement explicitly use the word "victim," Matsuo said, but 
Okada himself decided to use the term.  Echoing the readout 
received by Embassy Tokyo (ref A), Matsuo characterized the 
visit as a huge success and a "solid anchor peg" from which 
to move forward in the bilateral effort to transform 
ROK-Japan relations. 
 
Warning:  Bumpy Road Ahead 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Matsuo cautioned that, although close bilateral 
cooperation had succeeded in managing ROK anti-Japanese 
populism thus far, unexpected challenges were likely to arise 
throughout the year.  To this end, the Japanese embassy had 
developed a very detailed calendar of dates and events to 
help them anticipate sensitive periods over the course of the 
anniversary year.  DG Chang told us that MOFAT was 
coordinating with Matsuo and his colleagues on how best to 
negotiate these sensitive dates.  The March 1 Korean national 
holiday commemorating the 1919 independence movement would be 
the next potential flashpoint, followed shortly thereafter by 
the March 26 100th anniversary of the execution of 
independence hero An Jung-geun.  (Note:  An is viewed as a 
Korean patriot for assassinating Japanese Prime Minister Ito 
Hirobumi to protest the Eulsa Treaty, which Japan used to 
effectively annex Korea.) 
 
About Those Chosun Dynasty Court Records... 
------------------------------------------- 
 
 
¶5. (C) Matsuo observed that the ROK side did not raise 
sensitive issues during Okada's official meetings, choosing 
to raise them informally instead.  For example, over lunch 
Foreign Minister Yu mentioned press reports regarding the 
Imperial Household Agency's possession of cultural properties 
taken from Korea, particularly hundreds of volumes of Chosun 
Dynasty royal court records.  Yu, a former ROK Ambassador to 
Japan, reportedly stated he did not want this to become a 
"diplomatic issue," emphasizing to Okada that he was raising 
the issue only in the "spirit of frank exchange."  Matsuo 
commented that "in typical Asian fashion," Yu did not make 
any specific demands regarding the documents, instead hinting 
that Japan should voluntarily make its own "correct" decision 
on the issue.  Matsuo said Okada punted, noting that the 
foreign ministry had to consult with the Imperial Household 
Agency on the possible return of the documents and explaining 
there were concerns in Tokyo about the precedent such a 
return might set. 
 
China "Cool" On Trilateral Military Consultations 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
 
¶6. (C) Asked about media reports concerning proposed 
trilateral military consultations including China, Matsuo 
said it was a ROK initiative but he doubted the forum would 
ever come to fruition, because the Chinese were cool to the 
idea.  DG Chang said the trilateral proposal was not 
discussed during Okada's visit and he was quick to deny any 
MOFAT involvement.  He added that he understood the proposed 
forum would focus on mil-to-mil cooperation and not broader 
security issues.  (Note:  Ministry of National Defense 
Northeast Asia Division's LTC Kim Jong-bae told us that any 
trilateral discussions would not take place until the end of 
2010 at the earliest.  He also emphasized that the proposed 
consultations would be at the DG-level.  End note.) 
STEPHENS