Clinton vows to consult Seoul over reconstruction in Afghanistan

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday
that Washington will continue to hold talks with Seoul regarding South Korea's
future role in Afghanistan.
"We know that the Korean government understands the importance of stabilizing and
reconstructing Afghanistan. We will continue to consult with the Korean
government as we go forward with our policy review," Clinton said during a joint
press conference with Yu Myung-hwan, her South Korean counterpart.
Clinton arrived in South Korea Thursday night for a two-day visit as part of her
four-country Asia tour.
In their talks here, Yu informed Clinton of Seoul's plan to expand its support
for U.S.-led efforts in rebuilding the war-torn nation.
South Korea reportedly aims to increase its presence in Afghanistan to around 100
people, mostly police officers and firefighters to train their Afghan
counterparts.
Clinton avoided a direct answer to questions about whether the U.S. would request
Seoul to send its troops to Afghanistan.
"We all have a vital interest in brining peace in that region and we are very
pleased that the Republic of Korea and Japan together have announced joint
projects as well," Clinton said, referring to South Korea by its official name..
Seoul provided Afghanistan with US$66 million in aid from 2002-2008 and has
pledged $30 million for 2009-2011. Critics have said the scale of South Korea's
assistance is too small, given the country is one of Asia's largest economies.
Extending its role in Afghanistan gained urgency for Seoul after the inauguration
of the Barack Obama administration in the U.S., its close ally. Obama has singled
out Afghanistan as his main front in the war on terrorism and plans to deploy
30,000 more U.S. troops there over the next 18 months.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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