Turkish Invasion Threatens SK Troops in Iraq

In a recent televised announcement South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun apologized to the nation for reversing an earlier promise to bring the nation's troops home by the end of 2007. While headlines lambasted Roh for his "betrayal" of trust, Roh justified the move by stressing the need for maintaining good relations with Washington, as well as the potential economic benefit for Korea in developing the oil-rich Kurdish region.

Ironically Roh's decision to extend South Korea's deployment while cutting in half the number from 1200 to 600 by the end of 2007, places the staunchly liberal Roh in the same camp as his conservative opponents. With the presidential race just two months away, candidates on both sides have squared off on the issue.

Leading presidential candidate Myung Bak Lee of the conservative opposition Grand National Party supports the move. Dong Young Chung of the liberal United New Democratic Party has criticized Lee for his stance, saying this would turn Korea into a supplier of "international mercenaries." In the same tone Chung went on to say that Lee would "sell the blood of Korea's youth" to solidify ties with the US.

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