HL Deb 28 February 1994 vol 552 cc61-2WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether Her Majesty's Embassy in South Korea has reported to them the opinions expressed by "a senior Seoul official" on 1 February that "South Korea is in no hurry to deploy Patriot missiles as there are no clear signs of a threat to the Korean Peninsula" as reported in the BBC summary of world broadcasts.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

As HM Embassy in Seoul have reported, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party in the Republic of Korea spoke on 31st January of his reservations about the deployment of Patriot missiles, though not in the terms reported. This may be the statement which the noble Lord has in mind.

The deployment of individual weapons systems in the Republic of Korea is not a matter for us but we share the Republic of Korea Government's concern at the threat posed to the security of the peninsula while the Democratric People's Republic of Korea continues to refuse to comply fully with its IAEA Safeguards Agreement.