Iraq-bound Troops will Benefit South Korea: President

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, April 02, 2003

Iraq-bound Troops will Benefit South Korea: President

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The decision to dispatch non-combat troops to support the United States in the Iraq war is of the national interest and beneficial to peace on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said on Wednesday

Roh made the remarks in a televised speech delivered to the National Assembly of South Korea on Wednesday morning.

The president said he knew many citizens and lawmakers opposed the government's decision to participate in the US-led war against Iraq.

"My decision is in connection with our country and our people's destinies. I shoulder the responsibilities to defend South Korean people from war," said Roh.

The president told the lawmakers that he had made the difficult decision after pondering for a long time, and consultations with experts.

Enhancing the alliance with the United States would be beneficial to resolving the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said Roh.

He said "there are differences" between South Korea and its traditional ally - the United States, but "now the differences are dwindling."

Although the United States reiterated that the DPRK nuclear issue was different from the Iraq situation, and it also shared the view with South Korea that the nuclear standoff should be resolved peacefully, South Korea should notice that "danger still exists here", said Roh.

"Close cooperation on the nuclear issue between South Korea and the United States is very important," the president said.

Roh told lawmakers that many foreign investors thought a deteriorated South Korea-US alliance was the most harmful factor for the South Korean economy. Measures should be taken to "ease the anxiety."

The president urged the lawmakers to vote for the troop-dispatch motion.

Meeting the demand of the United States, the South Korean government had decided to send about 700 engineering and medical troops to Iraq in the post-war construction period.

The South Korean parliament had twice delayed the vote on the motion because of the growing anti-war sentiment among local citizens and lawmakers.

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