S. Korean FM to seek parliament's support for Afghan aid package

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan was to
brief ruling and opposition parties later Thursday on the government's plan to
provide additional support for troubled global efforts to stabilize Afghanistan,
apparently including troop dispatch, ministry sources said.
In a weekly diplomatic policy coordination meeting presided over by Yu on
Wednesday, the government made the politically-sensitive decision to send
"non-combat security forces" to the South Asian nation, which continues to be
plagued by terrorist attacks and bloody battles between the Taliban and the
U.S.-led coalition troops.
South Korean government officials have refused to utter the words "troop
dispatch," portraying the envisioned mission as solely aimed at protecting
Korea's civilian workers there and ostensibly leaving the door open to
dispatching police.
Foreign ministry insiders said Seoul wants to increase its civilian workers in
Afghanistan to around 130 and send a 300-strong military unit to operate an
independent Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
It would mark a turning point in South Korea's contributions to Afghanistan.
After the pullout of 200 medics and engineers in 2007, Seoul has focused on
providing medical and vocational training by assisting the U.S. PRT. Two dozen
South Korean volunteers work inside the U.S. Air Force Base in Bagram, north of
Kabul.
"Minister Yu will visit the National Assembly this afternoon and explain the
government plan," a ministry official said.
Any overseas troop dispatch by South Korea requires parliamentary approval. Yu
originally sought to meet the top officials of the ruling Grand National Party,
the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), and the minor opposition Liberty
Forward Party. But the DP said it has no time to meet Thursday due to pressing
domestic issues.
"We are trying to reschedule a meeting with the Democratic Party to tomorrow
(Friday)," the official said. "If consultations with the parties proceed well, we
will be able to announce the additional aid plan for Afghanistan as early as
tomorrow. And then the government will send a fact-finding team to Afghanistan
sometime next month to set the details such as where and how many security forces
will be deployed."
But the liberal DP, emboldened by a victory in Wednesday's by-elections, may
oppose the government's move.
Many South Koreans view the global campaign in Afghanistan as the U.S.'s war and
suspect Washington might have put pressure on Seoul to offer military help.
South Korean officials stressed that the country's role in Afghanistan will be
decided "independently" in accordance with its enhanced global status.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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