S. Korea rules out redeploying troops to Afghanistan

SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is not considering the redeployment of its
troops to Afghanistan, a spokesman said Monday, dismissing a media report that
the United States is pressing for a redispatch.

"The U.S. government has presented no such demand to South Korea," Foreign
Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said in a press briefing.
Quoting an unidentified government official, the Hankyoreh newspaper said
Washington has requested Seoul to redispatch its troops and expand financial
support for U.S.-led reconstruction projects in the war-torn country.
The report said the U.S. request came shortly after Richard Holbrooke, the U.S.
special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, visited Seoul on April 16 on his way
to an international forum in Tokyo to meet with President Lee Myung-bak and
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan.
Seoul officials said South Korea promised it would consider increasing its
practical assistance to Afghanistan but that the troop redeployment was not on
table.
The Hankyoreh report said the two countries will further discuss the issue when
Lee holds a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on May 16.
"Our government is not considering the issue of redeploying troops to
Afghanistan," Moon said.
South Korea withdrew a group of 200 non-combat troops -- mostly engineers and
medics -- from Afghanistan in December 2007, ending its six-year contribution to
the U.S.-led campaign to fight terrorism and rebuild the war-ravaged country.
The ministry spokesman said Seoul was considering expanding its role in the
NATO-led provincial reconstruction team projects in Afghanistan. Officials have
said Seoul plans to quadruple the number of its civilian volunteers there to over
90.
Seoul contributed a total of US$66 million towards the reconstruction efforts and
plans to offer $30 million more from 2009-2011.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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