Page 226 - 2018 Defense White Paper

outstanding capabilities in peacekeeping operations and gaining recognition as a leading

country in peacekeeping operations in the international community.
The ROK is also co-chairing the ADMM-Plus EWG on Maritime Security with Singapore
from 2017 to 2019. In May 2018, the ROK hosted a meeting of the EWG on Maritime Security in

Seoul to discuss ways to build conf idence in maritime f ields. In the meeting, the ROK introduced
its maritime security capabilities and multilateral cooperation activities, thus contributing to the
promotion of the ROK’s image as a nation that plays a leading role in maritime security as a

responsible member of the international community.

| Promoting Cooperation through the Signing of MOUs on Peacekeeping Operations |

The ROK government is actively pursuing peacekeeping cooperation with Vietnam, a strategic
cooperative partner. In September 2015, the ROK and Vietnam signed an MOU on peacekeeping
cooperation. In December 2015 and September 2018, the ROK dispatched engineering specialists
to Vietnam’s PKO center, where they shared knowledge about PKO deployments and trained

participants on base protection and survival skills in specif ic crisis scenarios.
Since September 2016, Vietnamese off icers have been invited to attend a four-week UN Staff

Course and Military Specialist Course at the PKO Center of the KNDU. The Course taught
the Vietnamese off icers about observation/surveillance, investigation/verif ication, negotiation/
mediation, and contributed to strengthen the Vietnamese Armed Forces’ PKO capabilities.
As the United Kingdom deployed an engineering unit to South Sudan in March 2017, the

ROK and the United Kingdom signed an MOU in January 2018 for peacekeeping cooperation,
laying the institutional foundation for further cooperation. The two countries’ cooperative
relationship now involves more than information sharing on peacekeeping operations, as one

ROK off icer has been accepted by the UK to undertake a UN staf f course at its PKO Center.

224 Chapter 5 Development of the ROK–U.S. Alliance, and Expansion of Defense Exchanges and Cooperation