Cable, Amembassy Seoul 3037 to SecState, June 9, 2000, Subject: On the Eve of the Inter-Korean Summit (Secret)
National Security Archive
This cable provides the U.S. embassy's read on public opinion leading up to the North-South summit and raises some interesting questions about the future course of U.S. relations with South Korea and its role in the region should the summit lead to an ongoing reduction of tensions on the peninsula.
Source: Cable, Amembassy Seoul 3037 to SecState, June 9, 2000, Subject: On the Eve of the Inter-Korean Summit (Secret) Date: Jun 9, 2000 Collection: Engaging North Korea II: Evidence from the Clinton Administration Dec 8, 2017
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-13304 Doc No. C05635999 Date: 07/10/2017
SECRET PTQ4948
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INFO LOG-00 SAS-00 /000W ----------------60F537 090911Z/38 O 090858Z JUN 00 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8971 INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5// IMMEDIATE COMUSKOREA SEOUL KOR//J-5// IMMEDIATE
APPEALS PANEL ACTION: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELEASED B1,1.4(D)
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 SEOUL 003037
EXDIS DECAPTIONED
Classification Extended on : 09/21/2016 ~ Class: SECRET ~ Authority: DSCG 11-1 ~ Declassify on: 06-08-2025
SPECAT
DEPT FOR U/S PICKERING, C - AMB. SHERMAN, NP - A/S EINHORN, EAP - A/S ROTH, PDAS DEMING, AMB. KARTMAN, AND EAP/K
DEPT PLS PASS NSC FOR LIEBERTHAL
E.O. 12958: DECL: (AFTER KOREAN REUNIFICATION) TAGS: PREL, MARR, MNUC, PINR, KS, KN SUBJECT: ON THE EVE OF THE INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT
SECRET
PAGE 02 SEOUL 03037 01 OF 02 090911Z REF: SEOUL 2380 (NOTAL)
CLASSIFIED BY THE AMBASSADOR. REASONS: 1.5 (B), (D).
(S) ON THE EVE OF THE JUNE 12-14 INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT, SOUTH KOREAN PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGHER THAN THE KIM DAE JUNG ADMINISTRATION WOULD LIKE BUT MANAGEABLE. EXPECTATIONS HAVE BEEN LIFTED BY THE DRAMATIC INTERNATIONAL "DEBUT" OF NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG IL IN BEIJING EMBRACING CHINESE LEADERS AND APPEARING CONFIDENT IN HIS OWN ABILITY TO MANAGE AFFAIRS OF STATE, INCLUDING THE SUMMIT AND KDJ HIMSELF. KDJ, FOR HIS PART, REMAINS CONFIDENT AS WELL, THEREBY SETTING THE STAGE FOR ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS THAT COULD BE VERY BROAD IN THEIR SCOPE EVEN IF POLITICAL AND GEOPOLITICAL CONSTRAINTS ON BOTH LEADERS LIMIT THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES.
(S) AS NOTED REFTEL, THE INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT PROCESS REPRESENTS A POSSIBLE MAJOR PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE COORDINATED ENGAGEMENT BY THE ROK, THE U.S., AND JAPAN OF
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-13304 Doc No. C05635999 Date: 07/10/2017
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-13304 Doc No. C05635999 Date: 07/10/2017
NORTH KOREA, WITH PRIMARY LEADERSHIP OF THE NORTH KOREAN ENGAGEMENT IN ROK HANDS
1.4(D) B1
IMPROVING THE NORTH-SOUTH KOREAN ATMOSPHERE FOR FUTURE IN-DEPTH DIALOGUE -- INCLUDING ON REDUCING NORTH KOREA'S CONVENTIONAL AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION THREAT -- AS CONFIDENCE IS BUILT.
- (S) CONSTRAINED POLITICALLY AT HOME BY CONSERVATIVES AND AWARE OF THE NUCLEAR AND MISSILE CONCERNS OF THE U.S. SECRET
PAGE 03 SEOUL 03037 01 OF 02 090911Z AND THE ROK, KDJ AND HIS CHIEF LIEUTENANTS HAVE SOUGHT, WITH SOME SUCCESS, TO COUNTER "IRRATIONAL EXUBERANCE" AMONG THE SOUTH KOREAN PUBLIC ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY NEAR- TERM "GRAND RESOLUTION" OF THE KOREA PROBLEM, OR EVEN SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS ON ISSUES CLOSE TO THE SOUTH KOREAN PUBLIC, SUCH AS REJOINING SEPARATED FAMILIES. THEY HAVE EMPHASIZED THAT THIS FIRST SUMMIT MEETING IS IMPORTANT IN OF ITSELF EVEN IF LITTLE SUBSTANTIVE PROGRESS COULD BE MADE.
1.4(D) B1
- (S) KIM JONG IL'S EMERGENCE ON THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STAGE IN BEIJING HAS LED TO SOME POPULAR REVISION ABOUT HIS CHARACTER. TO BE SURE, MANY, PARTICULARLY CONSERVATIVE, SOUTH KOREANS REGARD HIM AS THE DEVIL INCARNATE, BUT HE IS SECRET
1.4(D) B1
PAGE 04 SEOUL 03037 01 OF 02 090911Z ALSO BEING PORTRAYED, PROBABLY AT THE [illegible] AS SOMEONE WITH WHOM A CONFIDENT KDJ AND A STRONG ROK CAN DEAL. THE SEEMINGLY EASY MANNER WITH WHICH KIM JONG IL ENGAGED CHINESE LEADERS HAS PERSUADED MANY KOREANS THAT KIM IS NOT, AT LEAST NOW, THE DISSIPATED, DEGENERATE "PLAYBOY MADMAN" DELICIOUSLY AND MALICIOUSLY PAINTED FOR YEARS IN THE SOUTH'S MEDIA. THE PROSPECT THAT SOME GENUINE NEGOTIATION MIGHT TAKE PLACE HAS LED TO A MOOD OF GREATER
1.4(D) B1
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-13304 Doc No. C05635999 Date: 07/10/2017
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-13304 Doc No. C05635999 Date: 07/10/2017
OPTIMISM IN THE SOUTH THAT SOME BREAKTHROUGH IS POSSIBLE. MOREOVER, THAT THE TWO KOREAS' LEADERS CAN MEET AS THE PRIMARY DETERMINERS OF THE PENINSULA'S DESTINY IS A THEME OF POWERFUL RESONANCE HERE.
- (S) ONE EFFECT OF THIS PHENOMENON HAS BEEN A SHARP DECLINE IN THE SOUTH OF THE PERCEPTION OF THE DPRK THREAT.
1.4(D) B1
SECRET
SECRET PTQ4950
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INFO LOG-00 SAS-00 /000W ----------------60F53C 090911Z /38 O 090858Z JUN 00 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8972 INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5// IMMEDIATE COMUSKOREA SEOUL KOR//J-5// IMMEDIATE
SECRET SECTION 02 OF 02 SEOUL 003037
EXDIS
SPECAT
DEPT FOR U/S PICKERING, C - AMB. SHERMAN, NP - A/S EINHORN, EAP - A/S ROTH, PDAS DEMING, AMB. KARTMAN, AND EAP/K
DEPT PLS PASS NSC FOR LIEBERTHAL
E.O. 12958: DECL: (AFTER KOREAN REUNIFICATION) TAGS: PREL, MARR, MNUC, PINR, KS, KN SUBJECT: ON THE EVE OF THE INTER-KOREAN SUMMIT
SECRET
PAGE 02 SEOUL 03037 02 OF 02 090911Z
1.4(D) B1 ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN NO MAJOR CHANGE IN KOREAN PUBLIC SENTIMENTS THAT USFK ITSELF PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN PRESERVING PEACE ON THE PENINSULA.
- (S) AGAINST THIS BACKDROP, ANY PALPABLE SUCCESS -- FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE ISSUE OF DIVIDED FAMILIES -- COULD ALSO
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-13304 Doc No. C05635999 Date: 07/10/2017
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-13304 Doc No. C05635999 Date: 07/10/2017
DEFANG CONSERVATIVE OPPOSITION TO AN EVEN MORE EXPANSIVE ENGAGEMENT OF THE NORTH AS THE SUMMIT PROCESS ROLLS ALONG.
- (S) WHILE THE CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE PROMISING, THE NORTH-SOUTH ROAD AHEAD WILL, AT BEST, BE LONG AND DIFFICULT. MOREOVER, THERE IS NO SMALL RISK THAT, THE DIVISIONS BEING AS DEEP AS THEY ARE, THE PROCESS COULD BE INTERRUPTED IN THE COMING MONTHS OR YEARS. A SUCCESSFUL SERIES OF SUMMITS AND SUPPORTING LOWER-LEVEL INTER-KOREAN DIALOGUE, HOWEVER, WOULD FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE POLITICAL AND SECURITY ENVIRONMENT ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA, CREATING THE BEST OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE EVER HAD TO ACHIEVE OUR VITAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES HERE. WE SHOULD BE COGNIZANT OF THE PARADIGM SHIFT THAT APPEARS TO BE OCCURRING AND RECOGNIZE THAT EVEN SOME MODEST SUCCESS IN THE SUMMIT COULD ACCELERATE AND MAGNIFY DEVELOPMENTS, INCLUDING AN EXAMINATION OF THE U.S. SECURITY ROLE ON THE PENINSULA AND IN THE REGION. THESE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS BEAR CLOSE OBSERVATION AND COULD FORM THE SUBJECT OF EVEN CLOSER AND MORE IN-DEPTH, POST-SUMMIT U.S. DIALOGUE WITH KDJ AND HIS SENIOR OFFICIALS.
BOSWORTH
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<< END OF DOCUMENT >>
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-13304 Doc No. C05635999 Date: 07/10/2017
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