S. Korea puts off announcing participation in PSI

SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has delayed announcing its participation
in a U.S.-led global effort to stop the trafficking of weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) for unspecified reasons, a government official said Wednesday.
"The government will not make the announcement today or tomorrow," foreign
ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young told reporters. "It will be made by the end of
this week."
He stressed that South Korea remains firm on its plan to join the Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI), which is aimed at interdicting the shipment of WMDs
and related materials.
His comments immediately triggered confusion, as the presidential office Cheong
Wa Dae said earlier the government will make public its PSI decision on
Wednesday.
Moon did not provide a clear reason for the postponement, only saying the
government has yet to finish internal procedures and consultations with related
countries.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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