S. Korea puts off announcing participation in PSI

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details)
By Lee Chi-dong
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), a government official said Wednesday, amid speculation that
Seoul is making a last-minute review of the timing in consideration of pending
issues with North Korea.
"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. North Korea, known for exporting illicit weapons, is
understood to be one of the main targets of the PSI with 94 member states.
North Korea has warned that Seoul's participation in the PSI would be tantamount
to a declaration of a war.
The spokesman's comments triggered confusion as the presidential office Cheong Wa
Dae said earlier the government would make public its decision on joining the
initiative 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.
"The government seems to be considering when to announce the decision due to
rapidly escalating regional tensions," a diplomatic source said. "The government
is also seeking cooperation from China and Russia in minimizing the impact of its
participation in the PSI."
As the U.N. council adopted a statement condemning its rocket launch, North Korea
said Tuesday that it will "never" return to the six-way talks on its nuclear
program and that it would restore nuclear facilities in Yongbyon that had been
partially disabled.
In the first step towards putting those threats into action, the North expelled
international inspectors from the country, according to the International Atomic
Energy Agency.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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