- - - - - - - -- - - - - an I 511 3 n- -- 3-5115 Yv - I cm n- 5 0 I Inr BENTEL JOHN A 75 SEOUL 5495 RELEASED IN FULL SECRET SECRET PAGE CI SEOU @6495 23C6162 11 ACTION 35-25 INFO sso za NSCE-OZ N- A OIISOO 0 2334572 AUG 75 AMEMBASSY SEOUL T0 SECSTATE NASHDC IMMEDIATE 2335 INFO AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY TAIPEI PRIORITY AEEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY USNISSION IAEA VIENNA SEOUL 6 EXDIS ERCAPTIONED E O 11652 TAGS EFIN ETRD ENUC TECH PARM KS HA TH CH SUBJECT ROK NUCLEAR FUEL REPROCESSING PLANS REF STATS 195214 1 PURSUANT REFTEL INSTRUCTIONS AMBASSADOR CALLED ON MINISTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CHOE HYUNG SUP AUGUST 23 ACCOMPANIED BY ERDA SCIREP AND EMBASSY POLMIL OFFICER 2 AFTER NOTING THAT THERE WAS STRONG POSITIVE DESIRE IN WASHINGTON TO STRENGTHEN COOPERATIVE USC-ROKG NUCLEAR AND OTHER ENERGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND PLANS AND REASSURIRC CHOE THAT TE WOULD LITE UP TO OUR COMMITMENTS 0N FUEL SUPPLY IN ACCORD WITH RECENT PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT AMBASSADOR REVIEWED HIGH COSTS AND TECHNICAL RISKS INVOLVED-IN CONSTRUCTING SPENT FUEL REPROCESSING PLANT HE THEN PROCEEDED TO MAKE POINTS 5A THROUGH CONTAINED REFTELL 3 AMBASSADOR SAID THAT AFTER VERY USG HAD CONCLUDED ROKS HAD N0 REAL REQUIREMENT FOR REPROCESSING PLANT AND THAT COST AND TECHNICAL RISK FACTORS ARGUED AGAINFT SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 SEOUL @5495 2305162 RON ACQUISITION THIS CAPABILITY AS ROKS THEMSELVES HAD EARLIER CONCLUDED AMBASSADOR URGED AS BEST COURSE JOINT EXPLORATION OF POSSIBILITIES FOR MULTILATERAL REPROCESSING AMBASSADOR UNDERLINED INCREASING CONCERN IN BOTH CONGRESS AND ADMINISTRATION OVER IMP ICATIONS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROLIFERATION SHOULD RON ACOUIRE REPROCESSING PLANT AND ESCALATING IMPETUS SUCH ACQUISITION MIGHT GIVE NORTH KOREAN EFFORTS To OBTAIN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY FROM PRC AND USSR HE SAID IT APPEARED UNLIKELY CONGRESS WOULD APPROVE NORI II LOAN UNLESS FRENCH REPROCESSING PLANT ACQUISITION CANCELLED AMBASSADOR CONCLUDED BY REQUESTING ROKG CANCEL PLANS TO ACQUIRE FRENCH REPROCESSING PLANT WHILE THIS CREATED DIFFICULT PROBLEMS FOR ROKG AMBASSADOR CONCLUDED THAT CANCELLATION FRENCH DEAL WOULD OPEN WAY TO BROADER AND INTENSIFIED JOINT ROKG-USG ENERGY DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION SECRET PAGE 1 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE - I CHARLES LAHIGUERA - UNCLASSIFIED IQ 92374 3 FUQS 11 '20 MAY 2005' 200403745 5 0 5 50 a-u - - - 94b - - u I 4SEOUL 6495 AND EXPLORATION OF MULTILATERAL PROJECT IF ROKG CONTINUED WITH FRENCH DEAL FUTURE WOULD BE INPAIRED 4 MINISTER CHOE RESPONDED TO ABOVE WITH EXPRESSION OF SURPRISE OVER EXTENT USG CONCERN NOTING AS HE HAS BEFORE THAT FRENCH PLANT WAS BEING ACQUIRED ONLY AS LEARNING TOOL AND NOT FOR ITS PRODUCTION CAPABILITY MINISTER PROMISED TO MAKE AVAILABLE ALL DATA REGARDING FRENCH PLANT AMBASSADOR AND CHOE THEN AGREED TO MEETING BETWEEN ERDA SCIREP AND READ KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE AUGUST 25 IN ORDER TO A PROVIDE COMPLETE EXPLANATION OF FRENCH PROPOSAL AND PLAIN PURPOSE PLANT EXPECTED TO SERVE IN ROK NUCLEAR AND - B EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE POSSIBILITIES NHICR WOULD PROVIDE ROK WITH DESIRED TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL GOALS WITHOUT RAISING QUESTION OF WEAPON PROLIFERATION PENDING OUTCOME AMBASSADOR SUGGESTEDNPOSSIBILITI OF TECHNICAL US TEAM VISIT T0 RON FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS 4 AMBASSADOR CONCLUDED THAI BASIC USG INTEREST AND PURPOSE IN MAKING THIS REQUEST WAS TO OPEN WAY WHOLE AREA OF ENERGY AND SCIENCE COOPERATION HE ASKED THAT CHOE CONVEY SUBSTANCE OF MESSAGE TO OTHERS IN ROKG AND INDICATED RE WOULD BE CALLING 0N ACTING EONMIN AUGUST 25 REGARDING THIS QUESTION SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 2336162 COMMENT WHILE TRIS INITIAL RESPONSE NOT ANTAGONISTIC OBOE NOTABLY MADE NO COMMITMENT EXCEPT TO EXAMINE ALTERNA- TIVES SNEIDER SECRET UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 2 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu