hankyoreh

The government is promoting of “a global Korea” to justify new troop deployments to Afghanistan, but observers are saying that in examining other countries’ troop deployments and support in Afghanistan, the justification weakens.

First, the government is stressing that there are 42 nations with troops in Afghanistan as of mid-Oct. They are suggestively kindling a fire, saying that South Korea, whose international prestige is on the rise with it hosting next year’s G20 summit, is being pushed back to number 43.

Of the countries that have sent troops to Afghanistan, however, excluding 28 NATO member states such as the U.S. and the United Kingdom who have great political, economic and geopolitical interests in Afghanistan, there are only 14 nations that have sent troops. As such, South Korea does not have pressing national interests in Afghanistan, so it has no need to go shoulder-to-shoulder with NATO member states in that region.

Moreover, of the non-NATO states with troops in Afghanistan, only Australia (1,200 troops) and Sweden (430 troops) have sent more than the 300 troops South Korea is currently considering deploying. Nine of the 42 countries, including the Ukraine, have sent 10 or less deployed troops merely to save face. Georgia sent one and Singapore sent two.

In addition, the government is taking steps to run its Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) independently by expanding the number of civilian personnel and sending troops to protect them, but no more than 14 countries operate PRTs independently. Excluding NATO states, Sweden and New Zealand are only the two countries that operate PRTs independently.

Government officials are also stating in justification that Japan has either sent or pledged $1.9 billion USD for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, including the establishment of hospitals, but South Korea’s $96 million USD is quite insufficient. The $96 million USD, however, would make South Korea’s contribution the 16th largest including NATO member states. Excluding NATO member states, it is the sixth largest contribution behind Japan, Australia ($472 million USD), Sweden ($269 million USD), China ($195 million USD) and Finland ($108 million USD).

Above all else, experts say that while the U.S. is in the midst of framing a new strategy for Afghanistan and some NATO nations are in the process of withdrawing troops, there is no need for South Korea to decide ahead of time to send troops. At a speech at a naval air station in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. President Barack Obama said he would not rush the solemn decision of whether to send troops down a dangerous path.

With about 4,300 troops in Afghanistan, the third largest group behind the U.S. and Great Britain, Germany has decided to pressure Afghanistan’s government to take greater responsibility in order to create conditions that would allow Berlin to withdraw troops. The New York Times reported Tuesday that other major nations, including Canada (2,830 troops) and the Netherlands (2,160 troops), are discussing troop withdrawals.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]