Visiting South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said in Washington D.C. Wednesday that his country will continue supporting the US-led fight against terrorism although Seoul-Washington alliance is changing.

Addressing business leaders at the US Chamber of Commerce, Roh said the South Korea-US "alliance will in part change according to the times, but the very fundamental basis of this alliance will not change."

"In all areas where the United States has been fighting to establish order and freedom, Korea has always been at the United States' side," Roh said.

The South Korean president said he will meet with his American counterpart George W. Bush Thursday to discuss the state of the alliance and ways to settle a tense nuclear standoff with North Korea.

Both Seoul and Washington have been demanding North Korea to return to stalled six-party talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear bomb production program.

South Korea, a strong US ally in Asia, deployed nearly 3,600 troops in Iraq in 2004, making it the second largest US coalition partner after Britain. It plans to withdraw about 1,000 of its 3,200-member contingent by the end of the year.

(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2006)