Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 Message Text SECRET PAGE 01 STATE 238186 70 ORIGIN SS-25 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 026 R DRAFTED BY EA K JDFORBES CHG OES NET RD HBENGELSDORF MER APPROVED BY OES - MR KRATZER PM NPO - MR NOSENZO S P - MR KAHAN EA K - MR O'DONOHUE S S-O DLMACK --------------------- 013484 R 062331Z OCT 75 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO AMEMBASSY SEOUL INFO AMEMBASSY TOKYO S E C R E T STATE 238186 EXDIS E O 11652 XGDS-1 TAGS PARM MNUC PFOR KS SUBJECT WASHINGTON VISIT OF MOST ATOMIC ENERGY BUREAU DIRECTOR TOKYO PASS ERDA REP HENOCH 1 MOST BUREAU OF ATOMIC ENERGY DIRECTOR LEE BYOUNG WHITE VISITED WASHINGTON AFTER LEADING ROK DELEGATION TO IAEA BG MEETING IN VIENNA LEE MET WITH DEPT OF ICERS OES S P PM AND EA ON OCTOBER 2 HE ALSO CALLED ON NRC ERDA AND NSC STAFF 2 IN CALL IN DEPT LEE EXPLAINED JUSTIFICATION FOR ROK ACQUISITION OF PILOT REPROCESSING PLANT FROM FRANCE ALONG STANDARD LINES LEE AND OTHER ROKG OFFICIALS HAVE ARGUED IN SEOUL SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 STATE 238186 3- LEE STRESSED ROK CONCERN OVER LONG TERM RELIABILITY Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 OF FOREIGN SOURCES OF NUCLEAR FUEL SUPPLY AS A MAIN REASON FOR ROK DESIRING TO DEVELOP ITS OWN FUEL CYCLE CAPABILITY PARTICULARLY ONE LEADING TO REPROCESSING AND RECYCLING OF PLUTONIUM TO REDUCE URANIUM REQUIREMENTS AND NOTED THAT US FUEL CONTRACT FOR KORI-II ASSUMED PLUTONIUM RECYCLE ROK HOPED EVENTUALLY TO USE EXPERIENCE OF PILOT PLANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A REGIONAL REPROCESSING CENTER SOME DISCUSSIONS TO THIS EFFECT HAD ALREADY BEEN HELD WITH JAPAN PHILIPPINES AND ROC SUBJECT WAS DISCUSSED AT 1974 KOREAN-JAPANESE SCIENCE MINISTERS MEETING WHILE THE INITIAL JAPANESE REACTION WAS ENCOURAGING LEE SAID JAPANESE ATTITUDE HAD COOLED UNDER NEW JAPANESE MINISTER OF SCIENCE 4 LEE SAID THAT THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE CONTRACTS BETWEEN KOREAN ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND ST GOBAIN AND ANOTHER FRENCH COMPANY THE FIRST FOR THE REPROCESSING PLANT HAS A TARGET COMPLETION DATE OF 1979 THE FRENCH WILL SUPPLY IRRADIATED FUEL TO BE REPROCESSED THE SECOND CONTRACT IS FOR THE FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY WHICH SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY 1977 LEE DESCRIBED THE PROSPECTS FOR CANCELLATION OF THE REPROCESSING CONTRACT VARIOUSLY AS IMPOSSIBLE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE AND VERY DIFFICULT 5 IN RESPONDING TO LEE'S EXPLANATION OES ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRATZER EMPHASIZED THAT AS LEE AWARE FOCUS OF US-ROK DISCUSSIONS ON REPROCESSING QUESTION IS IN SEOUL HE STRESSED OUR GENERAL CONCERN OVER SPREAD OF NATIONAL REPROCESSING FACILITIES AS WELL AS SPECIFIC SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE PLANNED KOREAN PLANT HE ALSO NOTED IN DETAIL ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WHICH COMMERCIAL SCALE REPROCESSING FACILITY WOULD FACE AND ENCOURAGED LEE TO CONSIDER SUCH NON-SENSITIVE NUCLEAR AREAS AS FUEL FABRICATION FOR ROK COMMERCIAL SPECIALIZATION IN RESPONSE TO ASSURANCE THAT PLANT WOULD BE SAFEGUARDED BY IAEA AND OPEN TO U S INSPECTORS KRATZER INDICATED THAT KEY ISSUE IS PLUTONIUM FACILITY PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN COUNTRY NOT QUESTION OF SAFEGUARDS EFFECTIVENESS WHILE IN FORCE SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 STATE 238186 6 PURPOSE OF LEE'S VISIT TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT OFFICES WAS CLEARLY NOT ONLY TO EXPLAIN ROK REPROCESSING AMBITIONS BUT ALSO TO ATTEMPT TO DETECT ANY DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDES OF USG AGENCIES TOWARD ROK PLANS IN THIS HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL KISSINGER Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 SECRET NNN Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 Message Attributes Automatic Decaptioning Z Capture Date 01 JAN 1994 Channel Indicators n a Current Classification UNCLASSIFIED Concepts MINISTERIAL VISITS NUCLEAR COOPERATION PROGRAMS Control Number n a Copy SINGLE Draft Date 06 OCT 1975 Decaption Date 28 MAY 2004 Decaption Note 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Action RELEASED Disposition Approved on Date Disposition Authority KelleyW0 Disposition Case Number n a Disposition Comment 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Date 28 MAY 2004 Disposition Event Disposition History n a Disposition Reason Disposition Remarks Document Number 1975STATE238186 Document Source CORE Document Unique ID 00 Drafter JDFORBES CHG OES NET RD HBENGELSDORF MER Enclosure n a Executive Order X1 Errors N A Film Number D750347-0311 From STATE Handling Restrictions n a Image Path ISecure 1 Legacy Key link1975 newtext t19751080 aaaactxh tel Line Count 113 Locator TEXT ON-LINE ON MICROFILM Office ORIGIN SS Original Classification SECRET Original Handling Restrictions EXDIS Original Previous Classification n a Original Previous Handling Restrictions n a Page Count 3 Previous Channel Indicators n a Previous Classification SECRET Previous Handling Restrictions EXDIS Reference n a Review Action RELEASED APPROVED Review Authority KelleyW0 Review Comment n a Review Content Flags Review Date 03 APR 2003 Review Event Review Exemptions n a Review History RELEASED 03 APR 2003 by SmithRJ APPROVED 19 NOV 2003 by KelleyW0 Review Markings Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 Review Media Identifier Review Referrals n a Review Release Date n a Review Release Event n a Review Transfer Date Review Withdrawn Fields n a Secure OPEN Status NATIVE Subject WASHINGTON VISIT OF MOST ATOMIC ENERGY BUREAU DIRECTOR TAGS PARM MNUC PFOR KS US LEE BYOUNG WHITE To SEOUL Type TE Markings Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 Margaret P Grafeld Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 06 JUL 2006 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu