CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY SEOUL
TELNO 223
OF 071425Z JULY 93
FROM FED
ย
CONFIDENTIAL
17
040726
MDLOAN 6856
HKA 063/
JUL 1993
ра
Gainen Geneal.
HONG KONG GARRISON:
1.
EXERCISES IN KOREA
The Civil Adviser to CBF Hong Kong has written to Martin Howard, SEC(O) (C), MOD to ask if the possibility of UK training in South Korea could be considered in London.
HQ
2. The impetus seems to have come from a visit to Hong Kong by the US Deputy Cincunc from Korea who has apparently offered HQBF joint training facilities with US forces, suggesting either exercise Team Spirit or unit training at a variety of ranges. BF say they can see a number of advantages in conducting one company level training exercise in Korea each year between 1994 and 1996 because of its proximity, excellence of facilities and because it would quote help cement US/UK relations in the Asia Pacific area (and in part help in the removal of the Honour Guard) unquote.
3. We and other FCO departments concerned are not repeat not in favour of going down this road partly because military exercises such as Team Spirit may in the future be scaled down, partly because of the delicate state of US-North Korea talks and the nuclear issue and partly because we would not want to send out signals which could or would be misinterpreted by the North and/or the South. And certainly not as any quote compensation unquote for pulling out our Honour Guard contingent.
4. We seem to recall this idea coming up three or four years ago and that at that time there was little or no enthusiasm at the Seoul end for the idea. We are still disinclined to support this idea but grateful for your views, incorporating if possible those of the DA- without treading on any US or Hong Kong toes - before we give a view to SEC(O) (C). They too recognise that there may well be political reservations despite a number of operational cost benefits.
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