South Korea announced a plan Friday that it will dispatch troops to Afghanistan with a mission to protect its civilian workers in the war-torn and terrorism-prone country.
The planned dispatch of more than 200 soldiers and about two dozen police officers comes as Seoul works to expand its Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan as part of efforts to play a bigger role in the international community.
South Korea has been under growing pressure to provide more contributions, commensurate with its national power and enhanced global status, to the troubled U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan.
"The Afghan government has asked our government through various channels to expand support for the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan. In an effort to more actively participate in the efforts, the (South Korean) government has decided to expand PRT," foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said in a statement read out in front of television cameras.