Expecting the U.S. to Solve North Korean Nuclear Issue Peacefully

On South Korea’s decision to dispatch additional troops to Iraq, most of the foreign newspapers analyzed that “the decision is a measure to come to terms with North Korea’s nuclear issue.”

On October 18 (Local time), the Washington Post evaluated South Korea’s decision to pledge more troops as “a significant step toward shoring up the somewhat strained alliance with the United States.”

On the same day the Los Angles Times reported that “South Korea became one of the first U.S. allies to send troops following the passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing a multinational force,” and added, “South Korea`s offer seems to have been made with the expectation that the United States will relax its uncompromising stance toward North Korea.”

“The decision was made in the presence of two different views of a group supporting dispatch to beef up the military alliance with the United States and an opposing group insisting the injustice of the war in Iraq,” the Associated Press said.

The Xinhua News Agency reported, “The decision was made to encourage the United States to be actively involved in fixing up the North Korean nuclear issue.”

The Asahi Shinbun analyzed that the South Korea government has been serious in dealing with the issue considering the anti-American sentiment, but the administration took a cooperative stance with the United States rather early in an effort to solve current issues, taking into account the North Korean nuclear issue and the relocation of American troops stationed in the Peninsula.

The U.S.’ official comment is expected to be issued early next week at a regular briefing by the State Department and the Department of Defense on October 20. A high diplomatic official from Washington said, “Officials from the State Department and the Department of Defense welcomed the decision and expressed gratitude, stringing a special meaning on it.”

Senator Hilary Clinton of New York State also delivered her gratitude to the Korean government for its decision at the commemorating ceremony of the 50th anniversary of Korean War termination in Syracuse, New York, USA.

Iraq and its neighboring Arab countries, being in a difficult situation keeping their Arabic true relations with sovereign and subject, the alliance with the U.S., and opposing domestic consensuses, plainly reported South Korea’s decision to send more troops without any comments.