CONFIDENTIAL
3. An additional worry, particularly for David Wright, is that involvement in such training would divert the DA and his staff from the hard work (reporting on the ROK military and getting to grips with them) obliging them instead to spend much more time on the easy work of administrating arrangements for troops and dealing with the US. With regard to the latter, David Wright is unhappy about Hong Kong's suggestion of a benefit being to "cement US-UK relationships in the Asia Pacific". Neither he nor I understand what that means and what it brings us if the objective is achieved. Once again, closer ties with the US in a place like Korea surely exposes us to more pressure to commit ourselves militarily?
4.
These are some of the practical problems involved in going back on a move earlier this year which got us' out from under.' There are other risks such as North Korean reaction, involvement in a growing period of tension etc which are more imponderable but real nonetheless. However, the absence of a clear objective, of any benefit for the UK's interests in Korea, the reversal of a successful policy and the sheer practical problems we would get ourselves into, leave us unenthusiastic about the training proposal.
Your Warich
Warwick Morris
Far Eastern Department
cc: .David Wright CMG (c/o HOMS)
Dr M Reilly, Seoul
Mr Wotton, NPDD
Mr Rickerd, SEAD
Mr Marshall, HKD
Ms Stickland, Sec Pol Dept
CONFIDENTIAL
FED17/GEN/howard13.7
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