Uganda halts military exchange with N. Korea

Uganda has told North Korea that it won't renew its military contracts with the communist nation, a government source said Thursday, carrying out its pledge to sever their military ties.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni made the pledge during a summit meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye last month in what was seen as a diplomatic victory for Seoul.

South Korea hopes that deepening the North's isolation from the international community will force the regime in Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

"The two countries' contracts on security, military and police cooperation expire at the end of this month," the source said on the condition of anonymity. "My understanding is that the Ugandan government has informed the North that it doesn't plan to renew them."

North Korea and Uganda have had active military exchanges since they signed a military cooperation agreement in 1987, shortly after Museveni took power.

Some 50 to 60 North Korean military and police officials are currently known to be working as advisers in the African country.

Sources said the South Korean government plans to dispatch its own advisers to Uganda to fill the gap left by the North Koreans. A Ugandan military intelligence official is also expected to visit Seoul as early as next week.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation during Park's visit to Uganda last month. (Yonhap)