By Kim Jae-kyoung
Staff Reporter
The government is considering dispatching troops to Afghanistan to guard Korean citizens sent there to rebuild the war-torn country, defense sources said Thursday.
They said the Ministry of National Defense has mapped out a plan to dispatch 300 soldiers to the country where around 30 Koreans are working to provide medical and other non-military services. The government plans to increase the number of the reconstruction team to 85 by early next year.
The move comes as concerns are growing over the protection of Korean citizens there. Currently, since there are no Korean combat troops in Afghanistan, they are escorted entirely by U.S. soldiers, according to the defense ministry.
``The government has reviewed a couple of options to protect Korean citizens, including dispatching troops and employing an Afghanistan security agency, but a final decision has yet to be made,'' a ministry official said.
The ministry has come up with detailed plans and is now in talks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The sources said the government will make a final decision after discussing the issue at a ministerial meeting.
kjk@koreatimes.co.kr
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