Asia-Pacific

S.Korea plans to send 350 troops to Afghanistan next year

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-02 22:20

SEOUL: South Korea is planning to dispatch near 350 soldiers to Afghanistan in mid 2010 to serve a two-and-a- half year mission, local media reported Wednesday.

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The government and the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) agreed at a policy coordination meeting to present a motion to the National Assembly about the dispatch of 340-350 troops to the war-torn Central Asian country next July for a two-and-a-half years, the country's Yonhap News Agency quoted officials as saying.

The decision, which still need the National Assembly's approval, was made as the Obama administration renewed its strategy for Afghanistan earlier in the day by sending 30,000 additional troops to the country.

The South Korean government in October announced its additional support program for Afghanistan, including the dispatch of troops for a reconstruction protection mission, in order to more actively take part in the international efforts for supporting Afghanistan' s stabilization and reconstruction operations.

Currently South Korea has a 25-member civilian medical team at a US base in Afghanistan.

However it is uncertain whether the plan will get the National Assembly's ratification, according to the local media.

South Korea's officials and politicians are at odds over the troop dispatch issue. The opposition parties, led by the main opposition Democratic Party, firmly opposed to dispatching troops to Afghanistan.

South Korea withdrew more than 200 military medics and engineers from Afghanistan in 2007 after dozens of South Korean Christian missionaries were kidnapped there. Two of them were killed.

Earlier in the day, South Korea expressed support for the US government's new strategy in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Obama administration's move is expected to make significant contributions to the efforts made by the Afghan people and the international community for the reconstruction of the war-torn country.  

"The government supports the US decision to expand its Afghan aid efforts, including troop reinforcements, in a bid to accelerate stabilization and reconstruction there," foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said in a statement.