Seoul, Dec 01: South Korean President Roh moo-Hyun, who faces a tough decision on what kind of additional troops to send to Iraq, called a national security meeting today after two South Korean civilians were shot dead there yesterday. Gunmen wounded two other South Korean electrical workers in the incident near ousted President Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

South Korea's deputy foreign minister, lee Soo-Hyuck, told a briefing early today that one of the wounded was in critical condition.

A spokeswoman for the presidential blue house said Roh had been briefed overnight and the National Security Council would meet later on Monday. Ra Jong-Yil, Roh's national security chief, chairs the meetings and briefs Roh.

Asked whether the shootings would affect South Korea's decision to send more troops to Iraq, Lee said, ''It is too early to comment. We must take time to analyse things.''

But Sunday's attack will almost certainly have major political ramifications for Roh -- although it seems unlikely he will change his October decision to deploy more troops to Iraq.

Many South Koreans disagree with sending more troops and opposition has grown since the latest spate of attacks on non-US foreigners.

Lee said that the four civilians were working as sub-contractors from a South Korean company for an unspecified US firm at a construction site for a power distribution plant.
''We got such sketchy details because our embassy staff have not yet arrived at the scene,'' he said. The men were on their way to the building site, said Lee Kwang-Jae, the ministry's director-general for Middle East affairs.

Bureau Report