By Shim Jae-yun
Staff Reporter

President Roh Moo-hyun on Wednesday vowed to speed up efforts to send troops to Iraq to help stabilize and rehabilitate the war-devastated Middle Eastern nation.

Roh instructed Yoo In-tae, his political affairs aide, to quickly arrange a meeting with leaders of the four major political parties to strike a consensus over the matter.

The meeting is likely to be held as early as the beginning of next week as majority opposition Grand National Party (GNP) leader Choe Byung-yul, now on hunger strike, said he is ready to meet with Roh to discuss the matter.

``As I already proposed such meeting, I think it is better to positively consider it,’’ Rep. Yim Tae-hee, Choe’s chief secretary, quoted Choe as saying.

``There will be much debate in dealing with the issue at the National Assembly. But the government is poised to push forward it without delay,’’ Presidential Spokesman Yoon Tai-young quoted Roh as saying during a breakfast meeting with six lawmakers who returned home from their fact-finding mission in Iraq.

``Now we need to solidify the alliance with the United States to find solutions to grave issues affecting security on the Korean Peninsula such as the North Korea-U.S. nuclear standoff,’’ Roh said.

The troop dispatch bill will be handled at an emergency sitting of the National Assembly later this month after Roh meets the heads of the four political parties for consultations.

Roh went on to stress the need for close cooperation with the U.S.

His comment came just days after two South Korean workers were shot to death in northern Iraq during their mission to repair damaged power transmission towers.

The National Security Council (NSC) has decided to let Korean troops engage in operations in a relatively small area in Iraq.

In a report submitted to Defense Committee of the National Assembly on Wednesday, it also said the contingent will number less than 3,000 in accordance with the guideline given by President Roh.

``It is better for the nation’s troops to engage in restoring order and rehabilitation work in a small area despite the call by some for us to take charge of a larger region,’’ the NSC said.

Grand National Party (GNP) Rep., Kang Chang-hee, who led the mission stressed that the bill for the troops dispatch should be passed at the earliest possible date.

``Sending troops is inevitable given the need to forty our alliance with the U.S. and to help address the difficulties facing the citizens of Iraq,’’ he said.

Rep. Song Young-kil of the pro-government Uri Party said the government should focus on giving the impression of the troops as a unit for peace and reconstruction and secure international recognition for the work.


jayshim@koreatimes.co.kr