Seoul to decide PSI membership at security policy meeting

(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks from spokesman for presidential office in paras 5-6)
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, April 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae will
convene a meeting of the foreign and security policy coordination committee
Tuesday to address pending security issues that will likely include the country's
joining a U.S.-led anti-proliferation regime, informed sources said.
The country's foreign minister, Yu Myung-hwan, said Monday that he will recommend
South Korea's full membership in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to
President Lee Myung-bak after consultations with relevant countries.
The meeting comes only hours after the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted
a presidential statement condemning the launch of a long-range rocket by North
Korea on April 5. Pyongyang claims it orbited a satellite as part of a peaceful
space development program.
A source said South Korea may make an announcement as early as Wednesday of its
"full participation in the PSI."
Lee Dong-kwan, a spokesman for the presidential office, later said an
announcement will be made soon.
"I think the announcement on the PSI will be made this afternoon at the earliest
or tomorrow at the latest," he told reporters.
A Cheong Wa Dae official, however, claims the move has little to do with the
North's firing of the long-range rocket that Seoul believes was a ballistic
missile test, saying the country has been considering joining the
non-proliferation regime "for some time."
"Anyone who understands what PSI is will understand it has little to do with the
launch," the official said, asking not to be identified.
The preceding Roh Moo-hyun administration had refused to join the PSI as it said
the move could cause unnecessary tension with the communist North. Pyongyang has
said it will regard Seoul's participation in the PSI as a declaration of war.
The Cheong Wa Dae official said the PSI will not lead to any additional
non-proliferation activities by Seoul other than the ones it is already entitled
to under inter-Korean accords,
The official was apparently referring to an existing cross-border agreement that
allows South Korea to stop and search North Korean ships sailing in its waters
that are suspected of carrying weapons.
"What is more important than joining the PSI is whether we actually implement
these measures or not," he said.
By joining the PSI, the official added, "We are saying we will strictly abide by
these principles."
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)