South Korea is moving to extend its peacekeeping operations in the Gulf of Aden and the United Arab Emirates, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.

Since early 2009, South Korea has stationed its Cheonghae military unit with a 4,000-ton Navy destroyer in the waters of the gulf, a hub of pirate activity situated in the Arabia Sea, as part of international efforts to help protect ships passing through the area. Some 500 South Korean vessels sail the region annually.

The UAE, since 2011, has also been home to some 150 South Korean troops in the "Ahk" unit, which is charged with training special forces and conducting joint military drills.

The extension plan aims to prolong the units' missions by one additional year to the end of 2016.

Stressing the necessity of the extension, a ministry official said the plan reflects the increased dependency of the Combined Maritime Forces, led by the U.S. and operating in the maritime area, on the South Korean unit.

The recent withdrawal of three European destroyers and a patrol plane from the region have raised the importance of South Korea's presence all the more, the official said in a background briefing.

Referring to the Ahk unit in the UAE, the official said the extension may help bolster South Korea's capabilities to protect its citizens in the Middle East region in the event of an emergency situation.

The parliamentary committee for national defense plans to table the bill on the extension plan on Nov. 18 to be voted on in the general assembly meeting tentatively scheduled for Nov. 26. 

Budgets of 30.1 billion won ($26 million) and 7.9 billion won are estimated for the extended stationing of the Cheonghae and Ahk units, respectively. (Yonhap)