The National Assembly’s Defense Committee on Friday passed a bill allowing a time extension for South Korean troops stationed in the United Arab Emirates.

Some 150 Korean soldiers will continue to carry on their duty of assisting their counterparts in anti-terrorism training in the UAE until the end of 2013.

Korea sent its troops to the UAE in 2011 for a year in line with efforts to boost strategic partnerships between the two sides after Korea won its biggest nuclear power project deal.

The Korean government’s dispatch decision was followed with strong criticism that the country was using its armed forces as a reward for the UAE nuclear power deal.

The Defense Committee also on Friday passed a separate bill on the one-year extension of troop dispatch to the Gulf of Aden off Somalia to protect vessels from pirates.

Some 300 Korean soldiers have been operating in the region since 2009 participating in global security efforts to counter pirates that have often targeted international tankers as hostages for ransom.

Another bill passed by the committee calls for the gradual withdrawal of its contingent in Afghanistan, where Korea has been participating in reconstruction efforts.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)