S. Korea mulls deploying troops north of Kabul

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is considering setting up a military base
in Parwan Province, just north of the Afghan capital Kabul, Seoul's top diplomat
said Tuesday.

"Parwan Province is thought to be the most suitable area," Foreign Minister Yu
Myung-hwan told reporters, when asked where South Korean troops will be deployed.
The U.S. has its main Air Force base in the region.
Yu said that security is the top factor to be considered in deciding the location
for the camp where a group of South Korean civilian aid workers and troops to
protect them will be based.
Seoul announced a plan last month to increase the number of aid workers in the
war-torn country to around 130 and dispatch hundreds of troops for their
protection.
The government will soon decide on the scale of the troop dispatch and the
location of their base before seeking parliamentary approval for the plan.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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