S. Korea to reconsider role in global anti-proliferation drive: minister

SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea should counter North Korea's continued
missile and nuclear threats by formally joining a U.S.-led anti-proliferation
campaign, Seoul's top defense official told lawmakers on Monday.
"Under the situation in which North Korea is developing long-range missile and
nuclear weapons, it is time for South Korea to reconsider its participation in
the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)," Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee said
during a National Assembly session.
South Korea has participated in the PSI, harshly criticized by Pyongyang, as an
observer since 2005 at the request of the U.S., its key ally. The preceding
liberal administrations confined Seoul's role to supporting offshore drilling in
an apparent effort to not further antagonize its communist neighbor, a prime
target of a campaign launched by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003.
"The government understands the purpose of the PSI, and we should determine the
level of support ... (and) push for participation in stages in accordance with
our situation," Lee added.
His comments came as the U.S. administration is expected to bolster the PSI,
currently with more than 90 member states, to more closely coordinate
international efforts on halting the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
With regard to the North's nuclear capability, the minister reiterated his
previous assessment that Pyongyang has about 40 kg of plutonium, enough to
produce six to seven bombs.
"But we need to review additional intelligence to see whether North Korea
actually manufactured (nuclear weapons)," he said.
He downplayed the North's underground nuclear test in 2006 as the detonation of a
mere "nuclear device," not a nuclear bomb.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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