U.S. welcomes S. Korea's move to fully join PSI: State Dept.

WASHINGTON, April 8 (Yonhap) -- The United States Wednesday welcomed a move by South Korea to fully join the U.S.-led effort to check North Korean vessels carrying weapons of mass destruction and their parts abroad.

"We would welcome a decision by the Republic of Korea to join the Proliferation
Security Initiative," a State Department official said, asking anonymity due to
the sensitivity involved.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has said his government will consider
joining the PSI as a full member, although South Korea is currently an observer.
In that role, it does not take part in operations to stop any vessels but
provides logistics support.
Lee's remarks, following North Korea's launch of a rocket Sunday to send a
satellite into space, infuriated North Korea, which denounced the hardline Lee
administration for what it sees as an aggravation of already tense inter-Korean
ties.
North Korea has warned of strong measures if South Korea joins the PSI.
Lee's liberal predecessors refrained from joining the PSI so as not to provoke
North Korea. The initiative has gained 74 member states since its inception in
2003.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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