US embassy cable - 05HANOI1666

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Identifier:	05HANOI1666
Wikileaks:	View 05HANOI1666 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Hanoi
Created:	2005-06-27 07:57:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags:	PREL PREF ASEC KN KS TH VM DPRK
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS HANOI 001666 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PREF, ASEC, KN, KS, TH, VM, DPRK 
SUBJECT:  DPRK Asylum-seekers Depart Hanoi 
 
Ref: Hanoi 1400 and previous 
 
1. (SBU) ROK Embassy First Secretary (Political) Lee Kang- 
kuk confirmed June 27 that the seven North Korean asylum- 
seekers in the Thai Embassy departed Hanoi for Seoul via 
Bangkok on June 23.  According to Lee, the RTG provided the 
seven with travel documents in the form of "Emergency 
Certificates" that facilitated their departure from Vietnam 
and entry into Thailand.  An ROK Embassy representative met 
the seven at the airport in Bangkok and provided them with 
travel documents for the Bangkok-Seoul leg. 
 
2. (SBU) Lee credited the GVN with playing a positive and 
"non-obstructive" role, adding that the GVN officials in 
contact with the ROK Embassy supported the ROKG's position 
that getting the seven out of Vietnam and on to a third 
country was Thailand's responsibility.  The ROKG also 
appreciated the role the UNHCR played in initially 
interviewing the asylum-seekers, Lee said.  Towards the end, 
however, there were some hard feelings between Thailand and 
the ROK over which side would pay for the asylum-seekers' 
tickets, Lee noted.  In the end, the RTG paid for the Hanoi- 
Bangkok leg and the ROKG paid for the Bangkok-Seoul tickets. 
 
BOARDMAN