REPUBLIC OF KOREA: 1987 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

SECRET S E C R E T SEOUL 03039 S/CT FOR WHARTON E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PTER, KS SUBJECT: REPUBLIC OF KOREA: 1987 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT REF: STATE 42378 1. SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT. 2. CLASSIFIED SECTION FOR THE REPORT FOR THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA FOLLOWS: U.S.-ROK BILATERAL COOPERATION: ------------------------------ 3. ROK COUNTERTERRORISM UNITS TRAINED WITH U.S. CT FORCES ON MANY OCCASIONS IN 1988. THE JADE NUGGET EXERCISE IN JUNE INCLUDED ROKG PLAYER AND OBSERVER CELLS. A SIMILAR THOUGH MORE ELABORATE ROK-US EXERCISE, JADE NUGGET 88, IS PLANNED FOR JUNE OF THIS YEAR. EXERCISE IVY CRAWLER IN OCTOBER 1987 WAS AN EXTREMELY INVOLVED ROK-US EFFORT. THE SCENARIO POSITED THREE TERRORIST SITES IN COMMUNICATION WITH ONE ANOTHER AND REQUIRED BOTH GOVERNMENTAL AND MILITARY COORDINATION. U.S. FORCES TOOK DOWN ONE SITE, ROK FORCES ANOTHER, WHILE AN INTEGRATED FORCE TOOK DOWN THE THIRD. IT WAS A COMPLEX EXERCISE AND OF GREAT VALUE IN EVALUATING UNILATERAL AND COOPERATIVE METHODS AND CAPABILITIES. FURTHER MILITARY COOPERATION INCLUDED FIVE SMALL UNIT EXCHANGE/TRAINING EXERCISES, BOMB DOG, AND EXPLOSIVE ORDINANCE DEMOLITION TRAINING. 4. THE USG HAS ALSO PROVIDED COUNTERTERRORISM ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING THROUGH A VARIETY OF AGENCIES INCLUDING CUSTOMS, INS, FBI, FAA, AND SIRO (S/NF). FURTHER DETAILS OF SIRO (S/NF) COUNTERTERRORISM ASSISTANCE TO THE ROK ARE RESTRICTED TO SIRO (S/NF) REPORTING CHANNELS. JUDICIAL RESPONSE: ----------------- 5. DURING EXERCISE IVY CRAWLER, ROK OFFICIALS RESISTED ATTEMPTS BY U.S. PLAYERS TO TRY TO EXERCISE LEGAL JURISDICTION OVER TERRORISTS ACTING AGAINST U.S. CITIZENS ON A U.S. INSTALLATION AND CAPTURED BY U.S. FORCES. WHILE THIS EXAMPLE OF EXERCISE PLAY CANNOT BE TAKEN AS AN OFFICIAL ROKG POSITION AS HIGH-LEVEL ROKG DECISION-MAKERS DID NOT TAKE PART, WE BELIEVE IT A LIKELY RESPONSE. NONETHELESS, SHOULD THE ROKG DECIDE NOT TO EXTRADITE THE USG WOULD PROBABLY FIND A KOREAN LEGAL DECISION ACCEPTABLE, AS ROKG AND U.S. POLICIES ON TERRORISM AND TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS ARE GENERALLY IN AGREEMENT. NORTH KOREA: ----------- 6. WE ASSUME THAT PREPARATION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S REPORT ON NORTH KOREA CAN BEST BE PREPARED IN WASHINGTON. LILLEY