The South Korean Defense Ministry says the country will maintain its troop presence in Afghanistan even if its forces sustain casualties after their planned deployment next year despite a Taliban threat of retaliation.
The ministry said in a booklet distributed to local media that the Taliban threat against South Korea's planned deployment amounts to routine rhetoric and constitutes a method of "sophisticated psychological warfare."
The ministry had sent a motion to parliament last week for approval of the deployment of as many as 350 troops and 40 policemen to Afghanistan to protect its provincial reconstruction team (PRT) of 100 civilian workers to help rebuild the war-torn south-east Asian country.
The motion, which is being opposed by the main Opposition Democratic Party, is likely to be passed as the ruling Grand National Party enjoyed majority in the National Assembly and would authorize a deployment from mid-2010 through the end of 2012 in Parwan Province.
The troops will be stationed in the mountainous region of Parwan, 35 miles north of Kabul, to protect South Korean civilian aid workers. The main US base is also located in Parwan.
The proposed deployment comes amid intense public debate over whether South Korea should take part in a war that many view as solely an American one. The debate intensified after the Taliban issued a warning last Wednesday saying that South Korea's move was in breach of a promise by its leaders in 2007 to withdraw from Afghanistan in exchange for the release of 21 hostages.
Meanwhile, Seoul has initiated talks with Washington on plans to rent or buy 10 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles (MRAP) that with its V-shaped hulls is capable of deflecting away any explosive forces originating below the vehicle and its passenger compartment.
"A final decision will be made as late as next month," Lt. Gen. Jang Kwang-il, the Deputy Minister for Policy, told a news conference Wednesday.
He also said that Seoul would deploy the army's Barracuda four-wheel-drive armored vehicles or K21 armored infantry fighting vehicles if the MRAP deal fell through.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.