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12 FEB 1993
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CO Hum
Date
Ms Barnes, Ighes
هر سکوت
CC:
8 February 1993
Mr Masefield o.r Mr Davies, FED Mr Ricketts, HKD Mr Wye, RAD
Sir J Coles
PS/Mr Goodlad
VISIT TO KOREA
812
1. As part of my familiarisation visit to some of the posts in my command I spent 28 January to 1 February in Korea. Mr Wright had organised for me an intensive programme which included discussions with each section in the Embassy; talks at the MFA, the National Unification Board and the Institute for Foreign Affairs and National Security; a call on the outgoing US Ambassador; and dinners with Korean contacts and with resident British businessmen.
2.
This was my first visit to Korea, and it would be dangerous to claim any particular insights. This minute sets out a few of the points which particularly struck me in my discussions. Mr Wright took a more detailed note which I am attaching for interested departments.
3. Bilateral and European affairs were discussed with Director-General for Europe during a call and over a lunch which he gave for me. The most notable feature was that Choi made no reference to our withdrawal of the UN Honour Guard, despite having numerous openings to do so. On the contrary we agreed that bilateral relations were in very good shape and that the Royal Visit had enhanced Britain's profile in Korea despite the antics of the British tabloids. I was struck by the speed with which our discussion of Europe turned back, via Russia, to Seoul's obsession with the North.
4.
I briefed the Director-General for Asia on Hong Kong, ending with a plea for Korea's quiet support in its dealings with China. He smiled enigmatically. He was pessimistic about the prospects for rapprochement with Japan, insisting that a further gesture from Japan was still required. There seemed to be a general feeling, which I also detected in Japan, that the time had come for
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