South Korea hears case for missile shield

US enovy Richard Armitage avoids protesters in South Korea

By Caroline Gluck in Seoul

United States representatives have been meeting South Korean officials in Seoul in a bid to win support for the Bush adminstration's anti-missile defence shield.

The US Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, discussed the controversial "Son of Star Wars" project with President Kim Dae Jung and other senior government members.

Students against the missile plan

Mr Armitage, who is accompanied by the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs James Kelly, also discussed North Korea and recent events on the Korean peninsula.

Small groups of protesters held demonstrations against Washington's plans as Mr Armitage arrived in Seoul.

Seoul is a key ally, with 37,000 US troops stationed on its soil to counter any threat from the North.

But publicly it has been ambivalent about the US missile defence plan which Washington says is needed precisely because of threats posed by states such as North Korea.

Defence analysts in Seoul believe the government is still wary of the high cost of the project, whose effectiveness is still uncertain, and that conventional forces still remain the key deterrent against threats from the North.

There are also fears that the plan will upset the strategic security balance in the region.

Washington anxiety

The US team also discussed North Korea and recent developments on the Korean peninsula following a landmark visit to Pyongyang by an EU delegation.

Seoul is anxious for Washington to finalise its policy review on the North, which Pyongyang has said is the key obstacle to the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue and plans for a second summit in Seoul.

The Bush administration has suspended dialogue with the North while the review takes place and has signalled that it is likely to take a much harder policy line towards the communist state.