Lee calls Afghan troop deployment part of Seoul's int'l obligation

SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Saturday
that his government's plan to dispatch hundreds of civilian aid workers and
security troops to Afghanistan is part of efforts to meet the nation's growing
international obligations.

"We have in the past received enormous help from international community. We're a
recipient of grant aid as recently as the 1970s," Lee said in a nationally
televised town hall meeting that began late Friday night.
"Even Africa sent 7,000 troops to come to our rescue during the Korean War. About
37,000 Americans also died during the war. Now is the time for us to help others.
We should carry out our due international obligations," said the president,
vowing to join global efforts to deter terrorism and maintain peace.
Lee's remarks came as Seoul is in the final stages of setting a timetable for
deploying its troops to the war-torn Central Asian country for the protection of
its civilian aid workers there.
According to government officials in Seoul, the South Korean government is set to
increase the number of civilian workers belonging to the provincial
reconstruction team (PRT) to about 120, while planning to send about 350 security
troops for bodyguard duty.
The final number of PRT workers and security troops will be soon finalized
through further consultations among government ministries, said the officials.
In the live television program, Lee said about 150 South Korean civilian aid
workers will build medical facilities, transfer agricultural know-how and engage
in vocational training, while about 300 security troops will also be sent there
to protect them.
(END)