A senior official with the office of the senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security said, "For the time being we are not going to consider dispatching military troops (to Afghanistan), except police training personnel. But we're seeking common ground on which we can agree with the U.S. as to what role Korea might play there."

His comments suggest that South Korea could dispatch military troops to Afghanistan again, depending on the attitude the U.S. takes. South Korea pulled its troops out of the Central Asian country last December.

The U.S. first raised the issue of again sending personnel to Afghanistan in January when Chung Mong-joon, special envoy of then president-elect Lee Myung-bak, was in Washington.

The possibility of another dispatch of military troops, as well as the dispatch of police personnel, to the war-torn country will likely provoke heated political and public debate in South Korea. It will be the first decision the presidential office has made on a U.S. request since President Lee Myung-bak returned from his U.S. visit.

A key presidential official said Tuesday, "During President Lee Myung-bak's recent visit, the U.S. asked us to send police training personnel to Afghanistan from a working-level standpoint. We're giving positive thought to sending tens of police training personnel with a view to enhancing our participation in and contribution to the international community."

Cheong Wa Dae has decided to expand staffing for peace-keeping forces in areas of conflict worldwide, as well as increase the scope of the nation's Official Development Assistance (ODA).

(englishnews@chosun.com )