S. Korea returns to cautious stance on U.S. security initiative

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea Sunday shelved its plan to announce full
participation in the U.S.-led anti-proliferation drive, apparently due to the
possibility that North Korea succeeded in putting a satellite into orbit.
South Korea had initially planned to announce a decision to join the
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), as soon as the North's launch is
confirmed.
"There will be no announcement on the PSI today or tomorrow," foreign ministry
spokesman Moon Tae-young said. "We will take some time to assess international
response (to the launch)."
He did not elaborate whether it means South Korea canceled its plan to take part
in the PSI, started in 2003 by the Bush administration seeking to interdict ships
suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction and related materials. North
Korea, a suspected exporter of missiles, is a main target of the initiative.
South Korea has limited its role in the PSI, currently with 74 member states, to
act as an observer in a bid not to antagonize the communist neighbor.
South Korean officials viewed the North's launch as a chance for Seoul to become
a new member.
A foreign ministry official said that the North seemed to have fired a "space
vehicle" carrying a satellite as it had claimed.
Another ministry official said Seoul's decision on the PSI may be affected by
whether the North's launch was successful or not. Russia is said to have informed
South Korea that the North's launch, if confirmed to be part of space program, is
not punishable.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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