Current Class SECRET Page 1 rent Handling STADIS Document NUmber 1976PAR1820831 Channel n a Case NUmber 199902647 SECRET PAGE 01 PARIS 20831 1617132 53 ACTION INFO OCT-01 026 039553 1616452 JUL 76 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3054 INFO AMEMBASSY BONN AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY SEOUL EMBA TAIPEI AM 35 DEPT REVEW Class'n El Cha PARIS 20831 3 13 de in mm ma Date E O 11652 TAGS PFOR MNUC PARM KS FR SUBJ KOREAN REPROCESSING REF A SEOUL 5351 B STATE 157296 C PARIS 12805 1 ON JULY 15 MFA SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR DE NAZELLE INFORMED EMBASSY SCICOUN ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THIS SUBJECT SEVERAL OF WHICH THE FRENCH HAD PREVIOUSLY GIVEN TO THE CANADIANS HE ALSO PROVIDED ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED FRENCH-BUILT NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER FOR SOUTH KOREA 2 WISHING TO INFORM US DE NAZELLE STATED THAT THE FRENCH HAD INFORMED THE CANADIANS IN JUNE OF THE EFFORTS BY SOUTH KOREA TO OBTAIN ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT FOR A REPROCESSING FACILITY USING TAIWAN AS A PURCHASING AGENT ABOUT JUNE 7 OR 8 THE FRENCH MFA WAS INFORMED BY A FRENCH FIRM ONE WHICH SUBCONTRACTS WITH ST GOBAIN ON NUCLEAR REPROCESSING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT ON THE PRIOR DAY THEY HAD BEEN CONTACTED SECRET SECRET Deptof PAGE 02 PARIS 20331 1617132 51 Excise an Current Class SECRET Page 1 Current Class SECRET Page 2 Current Handling STADIS Document Number 1976PAR1520831 Channel n a Case Number 199902647 BY A TAIWAN FIRM TO PURCHASE CERTAIN EQUIPMENT FOR A NUCLEAR REPROCESSING PLANT TO BE BUILT IN SOUTH KOREA THE EQUIPMENT INCLUDED A CENTREFUGE AND PULSATING PUMPS OF THE SIZE AND NATURE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED IN THE PROPOSED AND DROPPED FRENCH REPROCESSING PLANT FOR SOUTH KOREA ALSO AS THE FRENCH UNDERSTAND THE TAIWAN FIRM CONSULTED A BELGIAN FIRM EUROCHEMIQUE AND A GERMAN FIRM REGARDING THE SAME ITEMS THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT HAS DENIED ITS FIRM LICENSE TO EXPORT SUCH EQUIPMENT TO SOUTH KOREA DIRECTLY OR THROUGH 3 THE TAIWAN FIRM ALSO CONTACTED THE FRENCH NUCLEAR FUEL FABRICATING FACILITY CIRCA REGARDING CONSTRUCTION OF A CANDU FUEL FABRICATION PLANT FOR SOUTH KOREA LICENSE FOR THIS WAS ALSO DENIED BY THE FRENCH MENT 4 THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY DE NAZELLE FOLLOWS CLOSELY THAT CONTAINED IN REFTEL B THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS THAT THE AGENTS FOR SOUTH KOREA WERE FROM TAIWAN DURING THIS DISCUSSION NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THE REACTOR OR TO CONTACTS WITH A BELGIAN FIRM BELGONUCLEAIRE EMBOFF MADE NO REFERENCE TO HAVING RECEIVED SIMILAR INFORMATION VIA REFTEL B 5 THE FRENCH ARRANGEMENT WITH ROK TO BUILD A NUCLEAR LABORATORY CONTINUES ON COURSE AND WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THIS PROJECT IS IN REFTEL C IN COMMENTING ON THE STATUS OF THIS PROJECT MFA OFFICIALS STRESSED THAT THE LABORATORY WOULD ONLY PERMIT ANALYSIS OF PWR FUEL ELEMENTS AS THE PWR NEEDLES WERE SHORTER THAN THOSE FOR THE CANDU ST GOBAIN HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE THE LABORATORY FACILITIES NO LONGER THAN THAT NECESSARY TO HANDLE THE PWR ELEMENTS AND NOT TO PROVIDE EQUIPMENT WHICH WOULD PERMIT CUTTING THE CANDU NEEDLES 6 EMBOFF AGAIN QUESTIONED MFA OFFICIALS ON THEIR INTENTION TO MAKE PUBLIC INFORMATION ON THE PROPOSED LABORATORY FOR SOUTH KOREA AT THIS TIME MFA HAS NO INTENTION OF MAKING PUBLIC ANY INFORMATION SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 PARIS 20831 _l6l7132 ON THIS PROJECT EMBOFF ENCOURAGED DE NAZELLE TO BE PREPARED TO MAKE THE COMPLETE STORY AVAILABLE IN THE EVENT PARTIAL FACTS BECOME KNOWN AND THE PUBLIC BEGINS Current Class SECRET Page 2 Current Class SECRET Page 3 Current Handling STADIS Document Number 1976PARI520831 Channel n a Case Number 199902647 T0 ASSUME THE WORST CONDITIONS EMPLOYING THOSE FEW RUSH SECRET Current Class SECRET Page 3                     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