hankyoreh

South Korean and U.S. military authorities are in talks on how to handle an unprecedented case involving a Korean soldier found to have deserted from the U.S. military apparently to avoid being sent to Iraq, defense sources here said Thursday.

The 26-year-old, identified only by his family name Kim, joined the U.S. Army in 2003 in a bid to receive U.S. citizenship, according to the sources. The South Korean-born man immigrated to the U.S. in 1992 and became a permanent resident.

As part of his three-year contract with the U.S. military, Kim was to be deployed to Iraq.

Kim came to South Korea in 2005 on leave, citing the illness of his father staying here, but did not return to the U.S. Instead, Kim joined the South Korean military last November.

Under the South Korean conscription law, all able-bodied male citizens should undergo at least two years of military duty. Those aged below 35 are obliged to join the military, despite their right to permanently reside in foreign countries, if they stay here more than 180 days.

The U.S. military is seeking to have Kim sent back to the United States and court-martialed on desertion charges, but South Korean officials are calling for further investigation.

"South Korean and U.S. military authorities are in consultations on the matter," an official at the Defense Ministry's criminal investigation bureau said. "The U.S. Forces Korea attempted to arrest Kim but we persuaded it not to do so as there is no concern that the solider serving in the South Korean military will run away."

Seoul, March 14 (Yonhap News)