Korean UNIFIL troops a ‘God sent’ for residents in the South

Welcome to Dong Myung (the Light of the East), the military base for the Korean UNIFIL contingent. Colonel Kim, the head of Korean troops in Lebanon, regards the peacekeeping operation in South Lebanon as an important mission for his soldiers and a way for his country to pay its debt that has been overdue for more than 50 years.

“During the Korean war, Lebanon helped Korea by donating $50,000, which was considered a large sum at the time. Thanks to Lebanon’s support, Korea is now the 11th largest economy in the world”, said Kim.

Kim added that the Koreans will never forget Lebanon’s sacrifices, stressing: “We [the Koreans] know better than anyone else the value of peace and the sorrow brought by sacrifices”.

The Koreans expressed their gratitude towards Lebanon by sending around 360 peacekeepers in 2007. The Korean contribution to development efforts in their area of operation is far greater than the military role they carry out. In fact, their work ranges from building streets that link small towns together and providing free medical treatment to building schools and raising the level of digital literacy and math skills.

Their most remarkable achievement yet is creating a qualitative leap in the relations between residents in the south and the international forces in the region. The Korean contingent believes that the key to achieving a successful peacekeeping operation is building close links with the local community.

In fact, it is regarded as the only UNIFIL contingent that does not need the protection of the LAF while conducting its missions. For villagers in the South, the Korean contingent is simply a “ God sent”.