Additional troops unlikely

Korean Herald,, 27 March 2003

The Defense Ministry said yesterday that an additional dispatch of troops to the U.S.-led war on Iraq is unlikely, confirming reports that Washington recently sounded out whether Seoul can provide more medics to work at post-war prison camps.

I believe there will not be a further dispatch of troops to the Middle East area. We conveyed this position to the Foreign Ministry, said Col. Sim Yong-shik, who runs the policy coordination division at the ministry.

He said Washington’s Office of Reconstruction and Human Affairs, which is affiliated to the U.S. Department of Defense, asked the Seoul’s Foreign Ministry Monday whether Korea can send more medics to help staff post-war prison camps.

I would say it was not an official request for the troop dispatch. The United States tried to tag our position on the dispatch of medical staffers to concentration camps, Sim told reporters.

The remarks came one day ahead of a parliamentary vote on a motion calling for the dispatch of 600 military engineers and 100 medics. Analysts cast doubt over the passage of the administration-led bill amid mounting anti-war public protests.

Earlier in the day, the Defense Ministry raised a possibility that it might send some of the 100 medics, which it intends to send, at post-war prison camps to provide medical service to Iraqi prisoners and war criminals.

We have reviewed whether to position some of medical staffs at post-war prison camps, said Brig. Gen. Hwang Young-soo, the ministry spokesman.

Washington raised the matter concerning building new concentration camps, supplying food to prisoners and providing them with medical services, he said.