Seoul, Feb 14, SPA -- South Korea said Monday it will go ahead with plans to purchase four hi-tech surveillancejets in the coming years to reduce its reliance on the U.S.military and step up its aerial monitoring of the dividedKorean Peninsula. South Korea has eyed the purchase of such planes, withairborne early warning capabilities, since the mid-1990s,and potential bidders include U.S. plane maker Boeing andIsrael's Elta. The government hopes to make a decision by December thisyear and hoped to complete the purchase of the planes by2012, the ministry said in a statement. South Korea now depends heavily on the U.S. for itsmilitary hardware. About 32,000 U.S. troops are stationedhere.--SPA1328 Local Time 1028 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/239358