ID :
59398
Thu, 05/07/2009 - 15:18
Auther :
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https://www.oananews.org//node/59398
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Pentagon reaffirms alliance with S. Korea amid Zaytun soldiers' bribery
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, May 6 (Yonhap) -- The Pentagon Wednesday reaffirmed the decades-old alliance with South Korea amid reports of the conviction of three South Korean soldiers for bribery involving U.S.-funded projects in Iraq.
"The alliance has an important role in security affairs, beyond the peninsula,
such as in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Maj. Stewart Upton, in charge of Asia and
U.S. Marine Corps affairs at the Pentagon's Press Office.
"Over a half century old, the alliance remains a vibrant reflection of the common
values and aspirations of our peoples," Upton said. "It remains vital to the
interests of both of our nations and will continue to be the foundation for an
enduring, resolute and capable defense for the Republic of Korea."
In reporting the bribery of three South Korean soldiers, the New York Times said,
"Although American and Korean investigators cooperated in the inquiry, the
convictions have created awkward strains among some officials."
South Korean officials said Tuesday in Seoul that they expect the Pentagon will
soon send a letter to Times to protest that characterization.
However, the spokesman denied such a letter is in the works.
"I am not aware of any letter that will be sent to the New York Times and I will
not be providing comment on the New York Times article," Upton said.
A South Korean captain last month was sentenced by a South Korean military court
to three years in prison for taking $25,000 from an Iraqi company involved in
construction projects in the northern city of Irbil in return for business
favors. Two others, a master sergeant and a major, received suspended jail terms
for demanding bribes from other Iraqi firms. They received no money.
South Korea sent 3,600 troops, mostly engineers and medics, to Irbil in 2004 and
had been engaged in rehabilitation and medical activities until the end of 2008,
when they pulled out of the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
During the stay of the Zaytun unit in the Kurdish region for more than four
years, the South Korean troops provided free medical services to more than 88,000
Iraqi residents and built schools, health clinics, town halls and libraries with
the tens of millions of funds provided by the governments of South Korea and the
U.S.
WASHINGTON, May 6 (Yonhap) -- The Pentagon Wednesday reaffirmed the decades-old alliance with South Korea amid reports of the conviction of three South Korean soldiers for bribery involving U.S.-funded projects in Iraq.
"The alliance has an important role in security affairs, beyond the peninsula,
such as in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Maj. Stewart Upton, in charge of Asia and
U.S. Marine Corps affairs at the Pentagon's Press Office.
"Over a half century old, the alliance remains a vibrant reflection of the common
values and aspirations of our peoples," Upton said. "It remains vital to the
interests of both of our nations and will continue to be the foundation for an
enduring, resolute and capable defense for the Republic of Korea."
In reporting the bribery of three South Korean soldiers, the New York Times said,
"Although American and Korean investigators cooperated in the inquiry, the
convictions have created awkward strains among some officials."
South Korean officials said Tuesday in Seoul that they expect the Pentagon will
soon send a letter to Times to protest that characterization.
However, the spokesman denied such a letter is in the works.
"I am not aware of any letter that will be sent to the New York Times and I will
not be providing comment on the New York Times article," Upton said.
A South Korean captain last month was sentenced by a South Korean military court
to three years in prison for taking $25,000 from an Iraqi company involved in
construction projects in the northern city of Irbil in return for business
favors. Two others, a master sergeant and a major, received suspended jail terms
for demanding bribes from other Iraqi firms. They received no money.
South Korea sent 3,600 troops, mostly engineers and medics, to Irbil in 2004 and
had been engaged in rehabilitation and medical activities until the end of 2008,
when they pulled out of the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
During the stay of the Zaytun unit in the Kurdish region for more than four
years, the South Korean troops provided free medical services to more than 88,000
Iraqi residents and built schools, health clinics, town halls and libraries with
the tens of millions of funds provided by the governments of South Korea and the
U.S.
