The Korea Herald

소아쌤

S. Korea to dispatch military engineers to conflict zones

By KH디지털2

Published : Sept. 29, 2015 - 08:50

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President Park Geun-hye said Monday that South Korea will dispatch additional military engineers to conflict zones as it steps up efforts to boost U.N. peacekeeping operations.

"They will be assisting reconstruction and humanitarian activities in conflict zones," Park said in the leader's summit on peacekeeping at the U.N. that was co-chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Still, Park did not provide details as to the size and specific countries to which South Korea will dispatch troops.

Currently, about 630 South Korean soldiers are stationed in conflict zones, including South Sudan and Lebanon.

Park also said South Korea plans to provide hospital equipment through the African Union to enhance peacekeeping capacity in Africa while steadily scaling up its financial contributions to support the U.N.'s conflict prevention and peace-building activities.

"In 1950, the U.N. stood united for peace to safeguard the Korean Peninsula. Likewise, Korea will not hesitate to do what it must in the service of U.N. peace operations," Park said.

The U.N. coalition troops led by the U.S. fought on the side of South Korea against Chinese-backed North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty. (Yonhap)