Korean Military Delegation Requests U.S. Equipment Support

The South Korean military delegation led by Lt. Gen. Kim Jang-Su, Chief Operations Director at the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with officials of U.S. Department of Defense in Washington D.C. on December 18. The delegation conveyed South Korea’s plan for additional troop dispatch to Iraq and discussed detailed issues such as timing, location, and working with the U.S. Army.

In a meeting attended by U.S. military leaders including Maj. Gen. Walter Sharp, Division Commander, the South Korean delegation reportedly asked the U.S. for assistance with war munitions including equipment, supplies and building facilities. The Korean delegation delivered its decision to deploy independent troops in a region around Kirkuk, Talafar, or Qayyarah, three candidate locations in the northern part of Iraq, and to carry out its responsibilities for stabilizing the war-torn nation and supporting peace and reconstruction.

On the same day, the Korean delegation left for Tampa, Florida where it was scheduled to discuss the details of the troop dispatch plan with military officials from the central headquarters of the U.S. Army.

maypole@donga.com