PUSAN, South Korea — After President Bush lauded South Korea's troop contribution to Iraq's reconstruction as a "gesture of friendship," White House officials sought to downplay reports today about that country's intention to draw down its forces.
Published reports quoted South Korean government sources as saying the country intended to reduce its contingent of about 3,600 troops by one-third. But a U.S. spokesman said Bush administration officials were "unaware of any such formal announcement."
The reports could prove particularly embarrassing for the U.S. president because they surfaced while he was in the country to take part in an annual gathering of Pacific Rim leaders at which cooperation on Iraq promised to be a major discussion point.
Bush stood beside South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday and thanked him for his country's participation in the reconstruction, but there was no mention of a possible South Korean troop reduction.
"We're bound by our love of freedom," Bush said. "And those commitments by your government indicate how close we are in terms of promoting the values of freedom and democracy."
A White House spokesman, Frederick Jones, said today that the topic of a South Korean troop reduction had not come up during the leaders' private discussions.
"President Roh was very proud of the accomplishments of Korean forces," Jones said.
White House counselor Dan Bartlett later said the administration had received "guidance" that the South Korean government's official stance had not yet changed, and that the debate was continuing in the parliament.
"I think it's premature to say this is any indication of what's going one way or the other," Bartlett said.
There was no official comment from South Korea's Defense Ministry. But Defense Minister Yoon Kwang Ung told ruling party legislators in a closed session of the National Assembly that changed conditions in Iraq made the reduction of troops possible, the semiofficial Yonhap news agency said.
Members of the ruling Uri Party have in recent months called for a troop reduction, citing reports of similar moves by Britain, Australia and Japan.
The war in Iraq has been extremely unpopular in South Korea, and even advocates of the troop deployment here have maintained it was done only out of an obligation to a long military alliance with the United States.
