DEPT DYCI REVIEW UMNEO 13325 Mmify aha Ci ikdmify will mun-Tame of Chm-a wiSm lryf rda Date 9 7 74 - 1 Department of State AN N750006-0592 PAGE 01 STATE 289656 #3 ORIGIN NCDS-OO INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 I001 66011 DRAFTED APPROVED BY ORTIZ -- 083H70 0915082 DEC 75 ZFFQ SECSTATE UASHDC TO AHEHBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY AHENBASSY OTTAHA PRIORITY AHEHBASSY PARIS PRIORITY USMISSION IAEA VIENNA PRIORITY WTATE 289656 NODIS FOLLOHING IS REPEAT SEOUL euuo SENT SECSTATE DEC 9 QUOTE SEOUL aqua NODIS DEPT PASS TOKYO OTTAHA PARIS IAEA VIENNA FOR INFO 5 0 11652 GDS TAGS NNUC PARH KS FR CA SUBJECT ROK NUCLEAR REPROCESSING REF A STATE 285690 B SEOUL 9H02 1 IN ACCORDANCE REF A INSTRUCTIONS AHBASSADOR CALLED ON PRINE MINISTER KIN CHONG PIL DECEHBER 8 TO CONVEY US POSITION ON RE- PROCESSING ISSUE NOTING THAT HE HAS ACTING UNDER INSTRUCTIONS FROM SECRETARY ON ISSUE OF GREATEST INPORTANCE TO RE- LATIONS AMBASSADOR COVERED ALL POINTS IN REF A PLUS POINTS PREVIOUSLY MADE TO OTHER ROKG OFFICIALS ON THIS ISSUE SUBSE- PAGE oz STATE 239555 Mg use 2 31 47 4 3 4 10 3 -933333338 55% 3 5 as Ami I233 322133 igazagazg 5 3132 I OUENT TO NEETING ENBASSY GAVE OFFICE COPY OF TALKING POINTS COPY OF HHICH ALSO FORHARDED TO DEPARTNENT BY AIRGRAN DECEMBER 9 - 2 PRININ BEGAN RESPONSE SAYING THAT FINAL DECISION ON US REQUEST THAT ROK CANCEL FRENCH REPROCESSING CONTRACT HOULD BE NADE BY PRESIDENT IN NEANTINE HOHEVER PRININ HISHED TO EXPRESS HIS OHN VIEWS ON THE NATTER ROKG HE SAID HAS FULLY AHARE US CONCERN ABOUT SECURITY PROBLEN IN NORTHECST ASIA COULD NOT EXIST HITHOUT CLOSE COOPERATION OF US HHICH IT DID NOT HISH TD HURT AND IN NO EVENT HOULD TAKE-ACTION CONTRARY TO FUNDANENTAL LINE OF US THINKING PRININ THEN ARGUED SOUTH KOREA DID NOT HAVE FINANCIAL CAPABILITY TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR HEAPONS TO ADD NUCLEAR HEAPONS DEVELOPMENT TO ROKG NAJOR CURRENT EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN ITS CONVENTIONAL NILITARY POSTURE HAS CLEARLY BEYOND ROK ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL CAPABILITY FURTHERNORE IT HOULD BE STRATEGICALLY DANGEROUS FOR ROK TO DEVELOP SUCH HEAPONS THEY COULD NOT BE USED AGAINST JAPAN CHINA OR THE USSR TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR HEAPONS FOR USE AGAINST NORTH KOREA HAS ALSO FOOLHARDY SINCE NEITHER KIN IL SUNG NOR HIS NAJOR CONNUNIST SUPPORTERS COULD BE EXPECTED TO SIT IDLY BY IN SUCH EVENT ROKG HAS ACCORDING TO KIN FULLY AHARE OF GRAVE CONSEQUENCES OF DEVELOPING NUCLEAR HEA- PONS ITSELF -HERE ROKS TO NEED SUCH HEAPONS THEY HOULD DEFEND ON US 3 ASIDE FRON DISCOUNTING ROK INTEREST IN HEAPONS DEVELOP- NENT PRIHIN REPEATED SEVERAL ARGUNENTS HE HAVE HEARD BEFORE US HE NOTED HAD NOT RAISED POSITIVE OBJEVTIONS TO JAPANESE DEVELOPNENT OF REPROCESSING CAPABILITY AND THIS HAS NATTER OF GREAT CONCERN TO KOREA ALSO CHINA AND OTHERS HAD NUCLEAR CAPABILITY HHICH ALSO GREATLY CONCERNED ROK HHAT KOREA DESIRED HAS SNALL SIZED PLANT HHICH NANY OTHERS POSSESSED FOR KNOH- LEDGE AND DEVELOPNENT OF PEACEFUL NUCLEAR CAPABILITY NOREOVER IT HOULD BE VERY AHKHARD TO CANCEL FRENCH CONTRACT AT THIS STAGE INSPECTION GUARANTEES INCLUDING OFFER OF BILATERAL US ELININATE US SUSPICIDNS IN VIEH OF ALL THESE FACTORS KIN REITERATED SEVERAL TINES ROKG SINPLY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND US SUSPICIONS ABOUT ROKS SNALL REPROCESSING EFFORT AS LONG AS PRESIDENT PARK HERE TO LEAD ROK AND KIN HERE HIS ASSISTANT KIN COULD ASSURE US THAT ROK HOULD TAKE NO ACTION PAGE 03 STATE 289656 TO JEOPARDIZE BASIC US INTERESTS SUCH DANGERS EXISTED ONLY OUTSIDE KOREA AND THE US HAS JUMPING TO HRONG CONCLUSION IN ASSUMING THEY HOULD OCUUR INSIDE Q FINALLY KIM SAID THAT IF-THE ADVANCED NHTIONS HOULD NOT SHARE REPROCESSING INFORMATION HITH KOREA THIS HOULD BE GREAT PITY FOR ROK IT HAS EVEN SADDER IN KOREAN EYES FOR US TO BE SO SUSPICIOUS AS TO THREATEN HITHDRAHAL KORI II LOAN OTHER FORMS OF NUCLEAR AND SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT AND BROADER SECURITY SUPPORT IF FRENCH REPROCESSING DEAL HENT THROUGH IF THE US INSISTED ON EXPANDING ISSUE TO THIS EXTENT THERE HAS KIM SAID NO MORE FOR ROKG TO SAY 5 IN ANSHER TO PRIMIN AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT AREAS OF AGREEMENT HERE SUBSTANTIAL HE AGREED ON FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF ALLIANCE AS OUTLINED BY PRIMINE STRATEGIC DANGERS OF ROK NUCLEAR HEAPONS DEVELOPMENT OUTLINED BY AND ON POSITIVE BENEFIT FROM NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES HHICH ROK INDICATED HAS ITS GOAL ONLY DIFFERENCE CONCERNED ADVISABILITY OF ROKS LAUNCHING EVEN ON MINIMAL SCALE NUCLEAR REPROCESSING PROGRAM EFFECT OF THIS ACTION ON PERCEPTIONS OUTSIDE KOREA HOULD BE HIGHLY NEGATIVE HE HERE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE DESTABILIZING EFFECT OF SUCH PERCEPTION AND CONSERUENT DANGERS OF CONFRONTATION HITH DPRK AMBASSADOR POINTED OUT JAPAN HAS IN DIFFERENT POSITION IN THIS REGARD NHATEVER JUSTIFICATION ROKS BELIEVED THERE MIGHT BE FOR THEIR REPROCESSING PROGRAM PROGRAN HAS NOT NORTH MAJOR ECONOMIC COSTS TO ROK AND FURTHER POTENTIAL COSTS IN TERMS OF NEGATIVE US PERCEPTIONS AND BROAD US SUPPORT AMBASSADOR MADE CLEAR THAT HE HAD NEITHER HISH NOR PLAN TO LESSEN BROAD US SECURITY AND POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR ROK BUT PERCEPTION THAT ROKS HAD NUCLEAR HEAPONS DEVELOPMENT CAPABILITY COULD AFFECT CONGRESSIONAL ATTITUDES AND MADE OUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FAR MORE DIFFICULT 6 AMBASSADOR STRESSED ON OTHER HAND ROKS COULD OBTAIN- SAME OBJECTIVES IN NUCLEAR AREA FROM REGIONAL REPROCESSING CENTER AND DOOR HOULD BE OPEN FOR HIDE SCALE COOPERATION IN NUCLEAR AND SCIENTIFIC AREAS STRESSING THAT OUR OFFER HAS MADE IN THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND CLOSE FRIENDSHIP SADOR URGED ACCEPTANCE OF OUR COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE PAGE OR STATE 289656 HHILE ACKNOHLEDGING THAT IT NIGHT BE SOHEHHAT ANKHARD TO CANCEL FRENCH-CONTRACT AMBASSADOR SAID HE HERE CONVINCED FRENCH HOULD UNDERSTAND AND THAT US COULD BE OF SOME HELP IN SNOOTHING HAY TO THIS SOLUTION IF NECESSARY 7 IN HIS FINAL REMARKS PRIHIN SAID ROKG STILL HANTED TO PARTI- CIPATE IN REGIONAL EFFORT BUT COULD NOT SEE REASON FOR US OB- JECTIONS TO SHALL NATIONAL EFFORT AS HELL NONETHELESS ROKG HOULD HAVE TO STUDY USG PROPOSITION IN HEANTIHE PRINIH HOPED THERE COULD BE FOUND HORE REASONABLE AND EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE AGAIN PRIHIN UNDERLINED POINT THAT ROK DESIRED THAT THERE BE NO CHANGE IN BASIC RELATIONSHIP AND ROKG HOULD DO NOTHING TO JEOPAROIZE THIS RELATIONSHIP B AT CLOSE CONVERSATION AMBASSADOR INFORHED PRIHIN THAT dE HOULD LIKE TO HAVE POSITIVE ANSHER HITHIN A WEEK AT THAT TIME HE SAID IF QUESTION HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED HE HAS UNDER IN- STRUCTIONS TO RAISE ISSUE HITH PRESIDENT PARK PERSONALLY AHBASSDOR CONCLUDED THAT HE HOPED ROKG HOULD GIVE HOST SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO POSITIVE US ALTERNATIVE PROPOSED HHICH HOULD PROVIDE ROKS WITH KNOHLEDGE THEY NEEDED AT LOH COST AND RISK SNEIDER UNOUOTE KISSINGER Mg 3333K Md 9 53                     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