GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 3567
OF 3OO42OZ OCTOBER 86
INFO ROUTINE SEOUL
Confidential
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- 3 NOV 1936
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NATIONALITY : INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF BN (0) PASSPORTS.
AT OUR REQUEST CONSUL-GENERAL OF KOREA (KIM) AND HIS ASSISTANT CALLED ON S FOR S TO DISCUSS THE NOTE ON FACILITATING TRAVEL OF BN(0)S TO THIRD COUNTRIES.
2. KIM RECALLED HIS PREDECESSOR HAD MET WITH S FOR S TO DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF BN(0). THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN INFORMED AND HAD NOT REACTED ADVERSELY. KIM SAID NOW THAT A MORE DETAILED NOTE HAD BEEN CIRCULATED TO EXPLAIN THE NEW STATUS AND PASSPORT THAT WENT WITH IT HE PERSONALLY SAW NO DIFFICULTY OVER HIS GOVERNMENT ACCEPTING THE NEW TRAVEL DOCUMENT.
3. IN THE CONTEXTS OF DISCUSSION OF THE PASSPORT AFTER 1997, KIM TOUCHED ON THE FACT THAT KOREA DID NOT HAVE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. WHEN ASKED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS POINT IN THE CONTEXTS OF THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE BN(0) PASSPORT, WE MOVED TO OTHER TOPICS. HE WAS INTERESTED IN THE REACTIONS OF OTHER GOVERNMENTS. S FOR S ASSURED HIM THAT THE RESPONSE FROM CONSUL-GENERALS AND COMMISSIONERS WHOM HE HAD SPOKEN TO SO FAR HAD BEEN POSITIVE.
4. KIM ASKED HOW MANY PEOPLE COULD APPLY FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS AND HE WAS TOLD THAT 3.5 MILLION HONG KONG PEOPLE COULD APPLY IF THEY SO WISHED. KIM ALSO ASKED TO SEE SAMPLES OF THE NEW BN (0) PASSPORT. WE SAID THAT WE WOULD GIVE HIM SAMPLES AS SOON AS THEY WERE READY.
5. S FOR S ASKED THE CONSUL-GENERAL TO PUT TO HIS GOVERNMENT OUR HOPE THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO EXTEND THE PRESENT VISA-FREE ARRANGEMENT FOR HK BDTC PASSPORT TO BN (0) PASSPORTS.
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