SEOUL– South Korean troops on peace missions in Lebanon, South Sudan and other countries have delivered public messages highlighting their security commitments on the front lines of “military diplomacy,” as they marked the Chuseok fall harvest holiday.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff released the messages from overseas contingents, such as the Dongmyeong unit operating as part of the U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon, the peacekeeping Habit unit in South Sudan, the anti-piracy Cheonghae unit in waters off Somalia and the Akh unit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The messages were delivered ahead of the Chuseok holiday that falls on Saturday.
“All service members of our Dongmyeong unit will do our utmost to carry out the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon based on our pride in being representatives of South Korea,” a unit member was quoted as saying.
First deployed to Lebanon in 2007, the Dongmyeong unit has engaged in various activities like providing medical, educational and other services to locals. Dongmyeong means east light in Korean.
Members of the Akh unit underscored their role as “military diplomats.”
“On the back of your support, we have been doing our best for military cooperation with the UAE military and will fulfill our mission based on our pride in our role as representatives of South Korea, as well as military diplomats,” an Ahk member said in a taped message released to the press.
Since its first deployment in 2011, the Akh unit has been tasked with various missions, such as training UAE troops and protecting Korean nationals in the region in case of emergencies. Akh means brother in Arabic.
Troops in South Sudan also looked full of confidence about their peace operations.
“On the basis of our citizens’ backing, we are conducting a mission to help restore peace in South Sudan,” a member of the Hanbit unit was quoted as saying. “We, as a single unit, will continue to complete our mission until our last day here.”
Launched in 2013, the Hanbit unit has carried out reconstruction support activities, such as the construction and repairs of airports, roads and bridges. Hanbit means one bright light in Korean.
Navy personnel of the Cheonghae unit stressed their focus on improving maritime security “anywhere in the world.”
“Though it’s a little sad that we cannot reunite with our family during the holiday, we will be with our citizens in any part of the world where they need us,” a unit member said in a video message.
Since its birth as Seoul’s first overseas naval unit in 2009, the unit aboard a 4,400-ton destroyer has led a slew of operations to counter pirate attacks, escort South Korean and foreign ships, and rescue others in distress mostly in the Gulf of Aden. Cheonghae means blue sea in Korean.
At the vanguard of the country’s military diplomacy are more than 1,000 South Korean troops operating in many countries, mostly in conflict zones, for reconstruction, armistice monitoring and other peacekeeping missions.
Source: Yonhap News Agency