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Seoul is planning to dispatch warships to escort South Korean ships near the piracy-plagued waters near the Philippines and Malaysia, according to U.S. officials. The South Koreans are studying a plan to send two destroyers, a support ship and a Lynx helicopter to the region. These would guide South Korean ships passing through the strategic waterways. The region is a major sea lane that has been rife with piracy. Chinese officials have said they to are looking at security for Chinese shipping through the region. The U.S. Pacific Command has sought to engage the key nations of the area, Malaysia and Indonesia, in talks on joint patrols. Both those nations have rejected having U.S. warships in the region and, instead, launched an effort at joint maritime patrols. |