UNCLASSIFIED
・MDA184132111
우
076352 MDLIAN 4878
UNCLASSIFIED
FM SEOUL
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 275
OF 30062OZ MAY 91
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, MOSCOW, HONG KONG, DEPT OF TRANSPORT INFO ROUTINE DTI
DEPT OF TRANSPORT FOR IAD, DTI FOR OT2/2.
འ .
AS WE HAVE REPORTED THE SOUTH KOREANS HAVE FOR SOME TIME BEEN TRYING TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE TO AGREE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
AT THE SAME TIME, OF REGULAR FLIGHTS BETWEEN SEOUL AND PEKING. AEROFLOT HAVE BEEN SEEKING PERMISSION TO FLY MOSCOW-PEKING-SEOUL INSTEAD OF THEIR PRESENT ROUTE VIA SHANGHAI. DAYS HAVE SEEN TALKS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND BETWEEN THE KOREANS AND THE SOVIET UNION.
TIMELY.
SOUTH KOREA-CHINA
2=
THE PAST TEN THE KOREANS AND A ROUND-UP MAY BE
TALKS TOOK PLACE IN PEKING 20-22 MAY AND INVOLVED TWO KOREAN MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT OFFICIALS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UNUSUALLY, THE REQUEST FOR THESE TALKS CAME FROM THE CHINESE. KOREA'S TWO AIRLINES, KOREAN AIR AND ASIANA ARE BOTH SAID TO BE KEEN TO ESTABLISH REGULAR SERVICES AS TRADE AND TOURISM LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES GROW DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. KOREAN ENTHUSIASM NOTWITHSTANDING, NO AGREEMENT
WAS APPARENTLY REACHED.
SOUTH KOREA-SOVIET UNION
3.
THE
FOR
AEROFLOT HAVE HAD ONE FLIGHT A WEEK BETWEEN SEOUL AND MOSCOW VIA SHANGHAI SINCE MARCH 1990. KOREA AIR FLY DIRECT TO MOSCOW EN ROUTE TO OTHER EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS WITHOUT ENTERING CHINESE AIRSPACE. AEROFLOT IN PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN PUSHING SOME TIME TO FLY VIA PEKING WHICH APART FROM OTHER ADVANTAGES WOULD APPARENTLY CUT FLIGHT TIME BY AN HOUR AND A HALF. SOVIET AUTHORITIES ARE SEEKING THE AGREEMENT OF CHINA'S AVIATION
BUT THE LACK AUTHORITIES, AND ARE ALSO IN TOUCH WITH KOREANS. OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN KOREA AND CHINA HINDERS PROGRESS FOR THE MOMENT.
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