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)
