SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea must be confident that tensions over North Korea's nuclear ambitions will be resolved peacefully before Seoul considers sending troops to Iraq, South Korea's president said Wednesday.
Washington has asked South Korea, a major Asian ally, to dispatch thousands of combat troops to help American forces secure stability in postwar Iraq.
Talks to end the standoff over North Korea's suspected development of nuclear weapons are stalling over strident differences between Washington and Pyongyang, and South Korea wants the United States to make a firm commitment to a peaceful solution.
"Prior to making any decision on the troop dispatch, it is extremely important to arrive at a positive outlook for and conviction in peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said in a speech marking Armed Forces Day.
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