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November 18, 2009
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Korea’s top diplomat said yesterday Korea may set up a military base in the Afghan province of Parwan, north of Kabul, when it sends troops there to protect Korean civilian aid workers. In a press briefing, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan pointed to Parwan as one of up to three regions in consideration for Korea’s base. Korea already has several aid workers in the district of Bagram in Parwan. “It’s still too early to officially name the location of our choice but Parwan is one of the candidates,” Yu said. “There are three regions where no country has set up PRT [Provincial Reconstruction Teams], but they are low in our rankings.” Late last month, Korea announced its plans to send troops to Afghanistan to provide security for civilian workers helping with rebuilding projects in the war-torn nation. Yu said yesterday the number of workers in the new PRT could be between 130 and 150 and the number of the protecting troops would vary depending on the safety of the PRT’s base. The Korean government has continued working with Afghan officials to finalize its PRT plans. The Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that an interagency delegation has completed its first fact-finding mission in Afghanistan. In a press release, the ministry said a delegation of 15 government officials, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon, met with key officials in Afghanistan from last Thursday to yesterday. The Korean delegation traveled to Afghanistan to assess the security situation there and to determine the location and nature of the work for the Korean PRT. According to the Foreign Ministry, the Korean officials had discussions with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and also Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the U.S. commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF. The ministry said officials in the Parwan provincial government expected the Korean PRT to help improve the quality of life of Parwan residents, particularly in agricultural development, medical care and education. The ministry added that NATO forces felt Korea’s PRT would be “the ideal prototype” for future rebuilding teams to follow. Yu stressed that safety remains the most important determinant for Korea in choosing the location for its base. “We would prefer a place where there’s little military action,” he said. “Then we would like to have some synergy effects with our aid workers in Bagram.” Dispatching troops overseas requires approval of the National Assembly. Yu said it will take up to five months before the PRT plan is finalized and submitted to the parliament. By Yoo Jee-ho [jeeho@joongang.co.kr] |
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