Seoul not to change plans to send troops to Iraq: FM

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 09, 2004

Seoul not to change plans to send troops to Iraq: FM

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

South Korea's plans to send troops to Iraq will not change despite the incident that seven South Koreans were temporarily seized by Iraqi insurgents, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said on Friday.

"Although the security situation deteriorated in Iraq, our planto send additional troops will not change," Ban said at a press conference.

He added that a fact-finding team will depart later Friday as scheduled to Iraq to help Seoul to make final decision on the troops deployment location.

Earlier this week, after two South Koreans released by Iraqi militia after 14-hour detainment, the foreign minister also made similar remarks over Seoul's plan to send some additional 3,000 troops in Iraq.

Ban convened Friday's press conference after seven South Korean civilians were also set free after 5-hour detainment by Iraqi insurgents on Thursday (Iraqi time).

The timing of sending these additional troops has already delayed from April to June for the change of the deployment location.

After the US demanded "joint offensive operations" in Kirkuk, South Korea worried it would be more dangerous if its troops deployed together with US troops, for Iraqi insurgents may identified South Korean soldiers with US soldiers.

Last week, South Korea accepted US proposal to deploy its troops in Kurdish Autonomous area. The fact-finding team of South Korea is scheduled to visit, Sulaimaniyah and Irbil, both in Kurdish autonomous regions in northern Iraq.

Concerns rose that South Korea may become a target of terrorists like Spain, where a series of train bombings killed nearly 200 people last month.

More and more local civic group are demanding the government to halt the troop dispatch plan.

Source: Xinhua

Questions?Comments? Click here

Absentee voting for S.Korean parliament general election begins

S.Koreans detained by Iraq insurgents released

China tries to break Boeing, Airbus domination with self-made aircraft ( 6 Messages)

Will "Section 301" affect Chinese economy? ( 2 Messages)

Taiwanese businessmen further expand investment in Chinese mainland ( 2 Messages)

Japanese court rules PM's shrine visit "unconstitutional" ( 12 Messages)

China urges US to honor promise on Taiwan issue ( 4 Messages)

How the US could improve its image abroad ( 202 Messages)