'Korea should render US limited support on ISIS'
By Yi Whan-woo
Korea should render limited support to the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), according to experts on international politics Monday.
They said Seoul will not antagonize ISIS, a jihadist terrorist group, if its support for Washington is limited to humanitarian efforts.
“We will likely support the U.S. on humanitarian grounds, but there’s a slim chance that ISIS will find our move offensive,” said In Nam-sik, an associate professor at the Korean National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA).
Another expert echoed a similar view.
“I’d say the Korea’s coalition with the U.S. will not provoke ISIS under the condition that it excludes military support,” said Yeoh Yeoung-moo, a former journalist and ex-chair professor at Sejong University.
In was referring to comments made by National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin.
Prior to his visit to Washington, Sunday, Kim told reporters at the airport that the government supports an international coalition to help a U.S. strategy to defeat ISIS, a jihadist terrorist group.
Kim qualified this by saying that any support granted by the government would only be limited to providing humanitarian support for people such as refugees.
However, it can’t be ruled out that Washington could want more, due to its bilateral military alliance with Seoul.
Korea has already pledged $1.2 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees displaced by the extremist group. Kim said that the country could consider providing additional assistance although he declined to discuss details of what this could be.
“ISIS will face criticism from the international community, including from Muslim countries, if the number of refugees grows significantly,” In said. “It will be crucial for Korea to take a role in solving such problems as part of strategies mapped out by U.S. President Barack Obama.”
He referred to Obama’s four strategies included in his Sept. 10 speech outlining counter-terrorism efforts.
These include a systematic campaign of airstrikes, deployment of 475 more U.S military advisors, and ensuring that no funding reaches ISIS in Iraq.
“Korea could win trust from its long-time ally U.S, while not provoking ISIS by remaining cautious on military support for the Washington-led fight,” Yeoh said.
He referred to an Islamic group with ties to Al Qaeda that executed a Korean, Kim Sun-il, in Iraq in June 2004.
Back then, the terrorist group said the execution took place because the Seoul government refused to accept its demand to pull out South Korean troops from Arbil in northern Iraq who had been dispatched on a humanitarian mission.