S. Korea did not promise Taliban to keep troops out of Afghanistan — official

SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) — South Korea did not offer to refrain from redeploying troops to Afghanistan when it engaged in negotiations to secure the release of civilians held hostage by the Taliban in 2007, a senior official told reporters Tuesday.

The comment helps pave the way for South Korea to dispatch troops to Afghanistan after it withdrew more than 200 military medics and engineers from the Central Asian country in 2007, ending several years of deployment under a US-led campaign against the Taliban.

The withdrawal came after the South Korean government negotiated with the insurgents to secure the release of 23 South Korean Christian missionaries, two of whom were killed.

"We did not make such a promise in 2007," said a South Korean defense ministry official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. He said he personally checked with other officials who led the South Korean side in the negotiations with the Taliban.

His comment rebuts a statement on Monday by Defense Minister Kim Tae-young, who said he understood that such an offer was made when the negotiations were conducted.

South Korean media have also speculated that a similar pledge was made with the Taliban during the negotiations in 2007.

South Korea plans to redeploy troops to protect a group of civilian workers helping to reconstruct Afghanistan, where the US is considering a surge in troops to fight a growing insurgency.

Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan told reporters South Korea is considering setting up a military base in Parwan Province, just north of Kabul.

The announcement for the plan came after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Seoul last month for annual security talks between the allies and called on South Korea to take a greater role in global security efforts.

The US has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, serving as a deterrent against North Korea. US President Barack Obama is set to arrive in South Korea Wednesday and visit an American base here as part of his four-nation Asian trip. (PNA/Yonhap)

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