Date

Nov 18, 1975

Description

Worried that Seoul would move forward with Paris in carrying out the reprocessing contract and even purchase reactors from France, Kissinger's advisers saw "renewed urgency" in trying to solve the problem. They saw several basic options, including a moratorium on accepting the plant under "special constraints," but the option the State Department bureaus favored was strengthened opposition accompanied by seeking help from Canada and France. The Canadians would be asked to "take a complementary approach" in trying to dissuade Seoul from going ahead with the contract while Washington requested Paris to avoid "early implementation" of the contract. Seeing an "element of bluff" in the ROK position, Habib and Lord favored maintaining "our pressure in order to force the Koreans to fully face up to the risks of their present course of action."

If opposition failed, a moratorium was available as a fall-back: it would be a "face-saving way" for Park to "back down, while buying us time to engage the ROKG in a dialogue on its future nuclear energy needs." The report included two moratorium options, but if all else failed, the "minimum results" would be "deferring or constraining" a reprocessing facility through inspections and safeguards.

Source

RG 59, Records of Policy Planning Staff, Directors Files 1969-1977 (Winston Lord), box 369, Nov 16-30, 1975

Document published in following posting(s):

Stopping Korea from Going Nuclear, Part I

Mar 22, 2017