청와대도청 서울 8757-761102 시크릿오브코리아 안치용

							Declassified/Released US Department of State



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PAGE 01 SEOUL 08757 021046Z
11
ACTION NODS-00
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 /001 W
--------------------- 059182
O 020902Z NOV 76
FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
TO SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 0331
S E C R E T SEOUL 8757
NODIS
REF: SEOUL 6891
EO 11652: GDS
TAGS: PINT, KS, US
SUBJECT: ALLEGED BUGGING OF BLUE HOUSE
SUMMARY: FORNIM PARK NOVEMBER 2 STRONGLY URGED PUBLIC
DENIAL OF PRESS REPORTS ALLEGED BUGGING OF BLUE HOUSE,
IN PREPARATION FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY QUESTIONING OF
NOVEMBER 4. ALLEGATIONS HAVE ALSO AROUSED EXTREMELY
STRONG REACTION FROM PRESIDENT PARK. END SUMMARY.
1. FORNIM PARK CALLED ME IN NOVEMBER 2 TO DISCUSS
ANTICIPATED QUESTIONING NOVEMBER 4 BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ON VARIOUS PRESS REPORTS
REGARDING ALLEGED KOREAN LOBBYING ACTIVITES IN U.S.
HE RECALLED OUR CONVERSATION OF OCTOBER 29
(REFTEL), STATING THAT ISSUE HAS NOW BECOME URGENT AND
EVEN MORE SERIOUS DUE TO ANTICIPATED TOUGH INTERROGATION
PARTICULARLY BY OPPOSITION ASSEMBLY MEMBERS.
2. FORNIM THOUGHT THAT HE COULD HANDLE QUITE EASILY
ALL QUESTIONS RELATING TO TONGSUN PARK' ACTIVITIES,
PER SE, HE WOULD STATE THAT TONGSUN PARK WAS ACTING
ON HIS OWN AS BUSINESSMAN, HAD NO CONNECTION WITH
KOREAN GOVERNMENT AND DID NOT MEET WITH PRESIDENT
PARK IN BLUE HOUSE AS ALLEGED. HOWEVER, HE WAS GREATLY
PERTURBED BY HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS REGARDING ALLEGED
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BUGGING OF BLUE HOUSE. I POINTED OUT THAT IT HAS
BEEN U.S. COMMON PRACTICE TO AVOID COMMENTING ON ALL
ALLEGATIONS OF U.S. INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
AND EXPLAINED DIFFICULTIES FOR US IN ISSUING SUCH
DENIALS. I SUGGESTED, INSTEAD, THAT FORMIN EXPRESS
CONFIDENCE THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN U.S. AND KOREA
IS OF SUCH A CLOSE NATURE AS TO RULE OUT THIS POSSIBILITY
AND THAT FURTHERMORE THIS WAS ONLY ONE OF
A NUMBER OF SPECULATIVE REPORTS WHICH UNVERIFIED. HE
MIGHT ALSO INDICATE THAT ROKG WOULD HAVE WAYS AND
MEANS OF DETECTING SUCH BUGS IF THEY DID EXIST.
3. FORMIN REJECTED THESE SUGGESTIONS AS UNSATISFACTORY
AND FELT THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO DENY BUGGING IF NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY AND PRESS UPROAR OVER THIS
ISSUE IS TO BE AVOIDED.
4. FORMIN STRONGLY PRESSED FOR U.S. PUBLIC DENIAL
IN SOME FORM WHICH HE COULD THEN CITE DURING NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY SESSION. HE ASKED ME TO TRANSMIT THIS
REQUEST URGENTLY TO WASHINGTON IN HOPE OF RECEIVING
REPLY BY TOMORROW NOVEMBER 3 SO HE COULD PREPARE FOR
MEETING WITH ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE EARLY NOVEMBER 4.
HE WAS MOST INSISTENT ON NEED, IN HIS VIEW, FOR SUCH
PUBLIC DENIAL OF BUGING TO AVOID SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES
IN KOREA.
5. BEFORE I LEFT, FORMIN TOOK ME ASIDE OUT OF EAR
SHOT OF NOTETAKERS AND TOLD ME THAT AT MEETING TODAY
WITH PRESIDENT PARK, PRESIDENT WAS HIGHLY AGITATED
REGARDING ALLEGATION OF BLUE HOUSE BUGGING. LACK OF
PUBLIC DENIAL PUT PRESIDENT IN VERY DIFFICULT
POSITION AND PARK FEARED HE COULD REACT STRONGLY IN
SOME UNDEFINED WAY. FORMIN ASKED ME TO MAKE CLEAR TO
WASHINGTON THIS DEEP CONCERN OF PRESIDENT PARK
WHEN WE CONSIDER HIS REQUEST FOR PUBLIC DENIAL.
6. RECOMMENDATION. WHILE I HAVE SOUGHT TO
EXPLAIN TO FORMIN AND OTHERS WHO HAVE RAISED ALLEGATION
OF BUGGING WHY WE HAVE PROBLEMS IN DENYING



청와대도청 서울 8757 – 761102 / 시크릿 오브 코리아 안치용
Declassified/Released US Department of State



ANY SUCH ALLEGATIONS OF U.S. INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES,
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FAILURE TO DENY IS NOT UNDERSTOOD IN KOREA AND IN
FACT VIEWED AS VIRTUALLY INDIRECT ATTACK ON PRESIDENT
PARK WHICH COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES IN OUR
RELATIONSHIP. FOR THIS REASON, RECOGNIZING PRECEDENT
AND PROBLEMS INVOLVED, I WOULD NEVERTHELESS STRONGLY
URGE WE ISSUE SOME FORM OF PUBLIC DENIAL ALLEGED BLUE
HOUSE BUGGING WHICH FORMIN AND OTHERS COULD BASE
THEIR CASE ON.
SNEIDER
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청와대도청 서울 8757 – 761102 / 시크릿 오브 코리아 안치용