VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHUL #1701 3000141
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 270141Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6043
INFO RHMFIUU/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RUACAAA/COMUSKOREA INTEL SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMUSFK SEOUL KOR PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
UNCLAS SEOUL 001701
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KS KN PGOV PHUM PREL UN
SUBJECT: MOFAT ON ROK VOTING DURING UNGA 3RD COMMITTEE
SESSION
1. (SBU) PolOff delivered reftel demarche on 10/26 to Cho
Tae-ick, Director of MOFAT's Human Rights and Social Affairs
Division, seeking ROKG support for human rights resolutions
on Iran, Burma, and the DPRK, the biennial U.S. elections
resolution, and ROK opposition to "defamation of religions"
resolutions and non-action motions during the UNGA Third
Committee Meetings in November.
2. (SBU) Cho said that, broadly speaking, he anticipated no
change in traditional ROK voting patterns. He noted that
Seoul was a co-sponsor on the Burma resolution and fully
backed the DPRK resolution; voting for the Iran resolution
would be tough for Korea, and he predicted Seoul would again
abstain. Cho related that the ROK would support the biennial
U.S. elections resolution. He noted that, like Washington,
Seoul had serious concerns about the vague nature of what
constituted "defamation of religion" and agreed that the term
was open to broad interpretation and abuse. The ROK would
also join with the United States in opposing non-action
motions, concurring with the USG view that such moves were
intended to limit debate.
STEPHENS