VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHUL #3494 3440554
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 100554Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7667
INFO RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3689
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 3551
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 2177
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 8380
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1577
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 8592
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0816
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0099
UNCLAS SEOUL 003494
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR ISN, ISN/NESS, EAP/K; DOE FOR NE, PI, NNSA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TRGY KNNP KS
SUBJECT: KOREA JOINS GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY PARTNERSHIP
(GNEP)
REF: SEOUL 3110 (NOTAL)
1. Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of Science and
Technology) Kim Woo-sik, acting on behalf of the Korean
Government, signed the Statement of Principles of the Global
Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) on December 10. Hur
Jae-yong, Director of Atomic Energy Cooperation at the
Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), told ESTH that
MOST has forwarded the signed original to the Department of
Energy. Korea's decision to sign was confirmed in a
cabinet-level meeting on December 6.
2. Korea becomes the 19th GNEP member, and the third (after
Italy and Canada) to join in the months following the
September 16 ministerial meeting where the first 16 members
signed. By signing on December 10, Korea will be able to
participate as a full member in the GNEP Steering Committee
meeting beginning December 11 in Vienna. The Korean
delegation will be headed by Park Chong-taek, the Minister
Counselor at the Korean mission to the IAEA, and will include
the Director of Atomic Energy Policy from MOST.
VERSHBOW