| Submit your comments on this article |
| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Lee aide to visit U.S. for talks on missile range |
| 2011-02-22 |
| SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Yonhap) -- A key South Korean presidential aide on national security said Tuesday he will soon visit the United States amid speculation that his trip may focus on the allies' ongoing talks on boosting South Korea's ballistic missile capability to cover anyplace in North Korea. Kim Tae-hyo, secretary to President Lee Myung-bak for national security strategy, said he will leave for Washington around this weekend and stay there for a few days, adding it is one of his frequent trips there for discussions with the prime ally on North Korea and other pending issues. Kim was guarded about agenda items in his upcoming meeting with U.S. officials, including National Security Council Senior Adviser for Asian Affairs Jeffrey Bader. "It is not appropriate to talk in advance about what will be discussed," Kim, who serves as deputy national security adviser, told Yonhap News Agency. He neither confirmed nor denied speculation that his upcoming trip to Washington is mainly aimed at advancing consultations between South Korea and the U.S. on revising decade-old guidelines restricting South Korea's missile development. Under their 2001 agreement, South Korea restricts its ballistic missile capability to a range of 300 kilometers and a 500-kilogram payload to comply with the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). North Korea's constant missile threats and military provocations have prompted calls here for the lifting of the cap. |
| Posted by:Steve White |