South Korea's presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae will convene a meeting of the foreign and security policy coordination committee Tuesday to address pending security issues that will likely include the country's joining of a U.S.-led anti-proliferation regime, Yohhap News Agency reported Tuesday, quoting informed sources.
The country's foreign minister, Yu Myung-hwan, said Monday that he will recommend South Korea's full membership in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to President Lee Myung-bak after consultations with relevant countries.
The meeting comes only hours after the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a presidential statement condemning the launch of a long-range rocket by North Korea on April 5. Pyongyang claims it orbited a satellite as part of a peaceful space development program.
A source said South Korea may make an announcement as early as Wednesday of its "full participation in the PSI."
Lee Dong-kwan, a spokesman for the presidential office, later said an announcement will be made soon.
"I think the announcement on the PSI will be made this afternoon at the earliest or tomorrow at the latest," he was quoted as saying.
A Cheong Wa Dae official, however, claims the move has little to do with the North's firing of the long-range rocket that Seoul believes was a ballistic missile test, saying the country has been considering joining the non-proliferation regime "for some time."
"Anyone who understands what PSI is will understand it has little to do with the launch," the official said, asking not to be identified.
The preceding Roh Moo-hyun administration had refused to join the PSI as it said the move could cause unnecessary tension with the communist North. Pyongyang has said it will regard Seoul's participation in the PSI as a declaration of war.
The Cheong Wa Dae official said the PSI will not lead to any additional non-proliferation activities by Seoul other than the ones it is already entitled to under inter-Korean accords,
