Seoul undecided on US missile shield

Putin (R) has urged the international community to join Russia and thwart the U.S.'s missile defense program

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's foreign ministry said Thursday that media reports stating Seoul is opposed to the controversial U.S. missile shield program were "misleading".

The reports followed the Tuesday signing of a joint declaration between visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Kim Dae-jung which appeared to suggest Seoul opposed the U.S. plans.

"Some press reports suggesting [the joint declaration] is indirectly criticizing or opposing the NMD [National Missile Defense], or is supporting those countries against it, are misleading and do not reflect the position of the government," a foreign ministry statement said.

"(The government) is still carefully reviewing its position on the NMD and has not voiced any opposition to it," the statement said, adding the declaration "does not mention this issue in any way."

The joint declaration stated, "the Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea agreed that the 1972 ABM [Anti-Ballistic Missile] treaty is the cornerstone of strategic stability and an important foundation of international efforts on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation."

Russia has said a U.S. missile defense program would violate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which bans such systems under the belief that a country would not launch a nuclear strike if it were unable to protect itself against retaliation.

President Kim, due to meet Bush in Washington next week, has been criticized by many right wing legislature members who claim the joint declaration appeared to oppose the United States, which defends South Korea with 37,000 troops.

The Bush administration has said it will go ahead with the NMD, even it means revising or withdrawing from the ABM treaty.

South Korea's views are seen as important because Washington's main reason for building the shield is to protect itself from any potential threat from its enemies or "rogue" states, including North Korea.

Pyongyang stunned the West in 1998 by test-firing a ballistic missile over Japan.

Washington says an updated version could hit U.S. territory by the middle of this decade, and Pyongyang could also sell its technology to other nations like Iran or Iraq.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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National Missile Defense Program
U.S. Department of State

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