US embassy cable - 03ROME3570

S E C R E T ROME 003570 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, KN, IT, UN 
SUBJECT: NORTH KOREA TELLS ITALY U/S BOLTON SHOULD NOT 
ATTEND SIX-PARTY TALKS 
 
    CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (S) SUMMARY: DPRK AMBASSADOR TO ITALY CHOE TAEK-SAN 
REQUESTED ITALY SUPPORT NORTH KOREA'S DEMAND THAT U/S BOLTON 
NOT ATTEND UPCOMING SIX-PARTY TALKS.  HE ALSO MENTIONED NORTH 
KOREA DID NOT CURRENTLY POSSESS A NUCLEAR BOMB, ALTHOUGH 
CONTINUED U.S. AGGRESSION WOULD FORCE IT TO CREATE ONE.  THE 
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT REJECTED HIS REQUEST AND EMPHASIZED NORTH 
KOREA HAD NO NEED FOR A NUCLEAR BOMB.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  (S) MFA DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR EAST ASIA PAOLA MUNZI GAVE 
POLOFF A READOUT AUGUST 5 OF A CONVERSATION WITH NORTH KOREAN 
AMBASSADOR CHOE TAEK-SAN EARLIER IN THE DAY.  THE AMBASSADOR 
POPPED-IN UNEXPECTEDLY TO DISCUSS THE PLANNED SIX-PARTY 
TALKS.  ACCORDING TO MUNZI, THE AMBASSADOR FIRST CREDITED THE 
NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT FOR PROPOSING THE TALKS AND THEIR 
FORMAT, AND THEN REQUESTED ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR NORTH KOREA'S 
DEMAND THAT U/S BOLTON NOT ATTEND.  AMBASSADOR CHOE EXPLAINED 
THAT THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN OFFENDED BY U/S 
BOLTON'S RECENT SPEECH IN SEOUL AND COULD NOT BEAR THE 
HUMILIATION IF HE WAS PRESENT AT THE TALKS.  CHOE ALSO TOLD 
MUNZI NORTH KOREA DID NOT YET HAVE A NUCLEAR BOMB, BUT DID 
HAVE MATERIAL AT HAND TO ASSEMBLE ONE AND WOULD FEEL 
OBLIGATED TO DO SO IF THE U.S. CONTINUED TO THREATEN NORTH 
KOREA. 
 
3.  (S) CHOE REPORTEDLY TOLD MUNZI THE DPRK DESIRED A 
DENUCLEARIZED KOREAN PENINSULA, WITH NO AMERICAN STRATEGIC 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN SOUTH KOREA.  THE AMBASSADOR ALSO 
SUGGESTED THE U.S. SHOULD REFRAIN FROM CARRYING OUT ANY 
MILITARY EXERCISES OR SENDING ADDITIONAL PLANES TO SOUTH 
    KOREA IN ADVANCE OF THE TALKS, AS MILITARY ACTIONS BY THE 
U.S. COULD PREJUDICE THE OUTCOME.  CHOE THEN REITERATED THAT 
U/S BOLTON'S PARTICIPATION WOULD ALSO CREATE AN UNFAVORABLE 
ENVIRONMENT. 
 
4.  (S) MUNZI TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE DPRK COULD NOT 
CHOOSE WHO WOULD SIT IN THE U.S. DELEGATION, AS THE 
INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENTS WOULD SET THE NEGOTIATING TEAMS.  SHE 
ALSO QUESTIONED THE DPRK'S NEED FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS, NOTING 
NORTH KOREA'S LARGE ARMY PROVIDED ASSURANCE THAT NO ONE WOULD 
ATTACK.  SHOULD ANYONE BE SO FOOLISH AS TO DO SO ANYWAY, DPRK 
ARTILLERY COULD DESTROY SEOUL.  MUNZI SAID AMBASSADOR CHOE 
AVOIDED DISCUSSING THE ARMY AND REITERATED THAT THE DPRK WAS 
VERY WILLING TO NEGOTIATE IF U/S BOLTON WAS NOT AT THE TALKS. 
 MUNZI DESCRIBED THE AMBASSADOR AS ALMOST MAKING THE TALKS 
CONTINGENT ON U/S BOLTON'S (NON)-PARTICIPATION, BUT NEVER 
EXPRESSLY SAYING IT WAS A REDLINE. 
 
5.  (S) AMBASSADOR CHOE TOLD MUNZI RELATIONS BETWEEN SOUTH 
AND NORTH KOREA HAD COOLED RECENTLY, AND THE APPARENT SUICIDE 
OF HYUNDAI HEIR CHUNG MONG-HUN WAS PROBABLY A POLITICALLY 
MOTIVATED MURDER BY ANTI-DPRK FORCES, OR PART OF A LARGER 
POLITICAL PLOT TO IMPEDE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE 
SOUTH. 
 
6.  (S) MUNZI TOLD POLOFF THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT DID NOT 
SUPPORT THE NORTH KOREAN REQUEST.  IN AN ASIDE, HOWEVER, SHE 
DID MENTION THAT IF U/S BOLTON DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE 
PLANNED TALKS, NORTH KOREA COULD NOT CLAIM HIS PRESENCE HAD 
FOILED NEGOTIATIONS AND ATTENTION WOULD FOCUS ON THE NORTH 
KOREAN GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. 
    POLOFF THANKED MUNZI FOR ITALY'S RESPONSE, NOTED THE NORTH 
KOREAN GOVERNMENT DID NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF NEGOTIATING IN 
GOOD FAITH, AND POINTED OUT THE USG WOULD APPOINT ITS 
DELEGATION AS IT SAW FIT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME03570 - Classification: SECRET