S. Korea wants more time on Iraq

Agencies, Seoul/Nusa Dua, Bali

President Roh Moo-hyun reaffirmed on Saturday that his government needs more time to decide whether to send additional troops to Iraq as requested by Washington.

"People keep telling me to decide quickly (on the dispatch of troops), but this is not an issue to be dealt with that way," Roh said in a press conference. "We have to take our time to carefully discuss the matter."

The president also stressed again that the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue is a very important factor in the decision.

Ahead of the Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Bali on Friday AFP quoted senior Indonesian delegate Makarim Wibisono as saying that the next six-nation talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis would be held in the "near future," according to China's vice minister of foreign affairs, Wang Yi. The Summit includes the participation of ASEAN's counterparts -- South Korea, Japan, China and India.

The second round of six-nation talks, involving South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, has been delayed since the first round ended without a tangible agreement in August.

On Saturday in Bali South Korea's deputy foreign and trade minister Lee So-Hyuck told reporters that he did not know when a next round of six-party talks would take place but said he urged North Korea "to come to the negotiation table as soon as possible."

The Korea Herald further reported that President Roh said he is most worried about the possibility that the six-way talks may not take place or fail to reach an agreement if the government decides to send troops to Iraq.

"The (security) situation could be worse than when I was a presidential candidate (late last year)," he said. "If we presume that such a situation is possible, it is difficult to make a decision."

Roh added that there must be optimistic prospects and an assurance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula before deciding to send troops to Iraq.

He also reiterated that the government is carefully reviewing the U.S. troop request by examining various factors such as domestic and foreign public opinion, Korea's security condition, Iraq's internal situation and the passage of a new United Nations resolution.

Roh's remarks are seen as linked to South Korea's request for additional countries, including the United States, China, Japan and Russia, to step up their efforts to resolve the nuclear issue peacefully, some analysts said.

"The Seoul government is sending an indirect message to the United States to favorably consider a non-aggression pact demanded by North Korea before proceeding with the nuclear talks," said a political analyst, who asked to remain anonymous.

North Korea is threatening to pull out of nuclear weapons talks, demanding Washington sign a nonaggression pact before it agrees to proceed.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless said recently that the U.S. government would like Korea to send about 5,000 troops. Seoul has already dispatched 675 army engineers and medics at the request of Washington.

In the meantime, a fact-finding team, led by a senior Defense Ministry official, returned home Saturday after winding up its 10-day mission in the war-ravaged Middle Eastern country.

Meanwhile on Sunday AFP reported that North Korea demanded that South Korea unconditionally cancel its plan to dispatch combat troops to Iraq at the request of the United States.

"Their moves for the troop dispatch to Iraq is a serious issue directly related to the dignity, interests and honor of the entire Korean nation," said a spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, as quoted by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

South Korea should cancel its "reckless plan to sacrifice Koreans in the proxy war of the US as its shockbrigade," it said. South Korean media reports have said Washington has asked for 5,000 combat troops but the figure has not been confirmed here.

The request has triggered protests from South Koreans opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq who fault the U.S. hard-liners on North Korea over the nuclear crisis.

Analysts suggest Roh is using the troop request as leverage to encourage Washington to soften its stance.