Despite U.S. pressure, South Korea decided Saturday not to expand its role in a U.S.-led non-proliferation initiative to avoid possible clashes with North Korea, government officials said.
South Korea currently maintains observer status in the Proliferation Security Initiative, a multilateral drive aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction by "rogue" countries.
South Korea has been under growing U.S. pressure to be a full participant in the interdiction drive in line with stringent U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea over its Oct. 9 nuclear test.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook decided not to change South Korea's existing policy after discussing the issue with ruling Uri Party Chairman Kim Geun-tae and presidential national security adviser Song Min-soon, the officials said.
"Even though there's still a process to report it to the president, there will be no significant change on this decision," said one official who attended the meeting.
South Korea has been divided over the level of its participation in the PSI, especially after the North's nuclear test that has drastically increased tensions in Northeast Asia and beyond.
In Saturday's close-door meeting, the three top policymakers agreed that South Korea should explain to the international community about its "unique situation" that led it to decide against its full participation in the PSI, the officials said.
"There was controversy in the meeting, but the decision was made in a direction that the government should consider the unique situation of the Korean Peninsula. It also considered North Korea's decision to return to six-party talks," said another official from the meeting.
Both officials told Yonhap News Agency on the condition that they not be identified.
South and North Korea, divided since 1945, are still technically at war, having signed no peace treaty at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Seoul, Nov. 11 (Yonhap News)
S. Korea decides not to join U.S.-led WMD interdiction drive |
