Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Strengthening of defense cooperation among the major countries in the Asia-Pacific region

Vice Minister of MND Baek Seung-joo will visit overseas dispatched units, the Araw unit in The Philippines and Arc unit in the UAE, for site inspection beginning March 13. He will also visit Indonesia to attend the fourth Jakarta International Defense Dialogue on March 19-20.

Vice Minister Baek is accompanied by Song Yeong-geun, a member of the Saenuri Party, and Kim Gwang-jin, a member of the Democratic Party, of the National Assembly Defense Committee for the visits to overseas dispatched units, and will confirm activities our soldiers have been conducting and support requirements at the National Assembly level in the field.

He will first visit the Philippine Ministry of Defense to discuss promotional plans for national defense and defense cooperation between Korea and The Philippines. On March 14, he will visit the Araw unit to encourage soldiers there and participate in a completion ceremony of the school the unit has restored.

Meanwhile, in the UAE, Vice Minister Baek will take lunch with the members of the Arc unit and observe a combined training between the two units.

He will then give a presentation on "Reaction of international society and the Korean government against pirates and robbery at sea" at JIDD, which is held with the topic of "Maritime cooperation building for security and stability".

While he holds bilateral talks covering national defense issues with the representatives from each country including Indonesia during the dialogue, he will make a request for support regarding our government’s unification policy and that toward North Korea.

Vice Minister Baek will also visit Indonesian marine forces who operate LVT (landing vehicle, tracked) we had transferred to, and provide a lecture about the "strong security and unification bonanza" for members of the southern National Unification Advisory Council in Southeast Asia".

“This visit to the Philippines and the UAE will be a trigger to not only improve national defense and defense cooperation between the two countries where relations are getting closer with the dispatch of our soldiers, but also to expand aid and support from the National Assembly regarding overseas dispatch activities,” said the MND official.

He also added, “We will enhance the understanding of international society about  the security environment around the Korean Peninsula and extend and intensify the national defense cooperation with major countries in the Asia-Pacific region.”

By Chul-Hwan, Kim < droid001@dema.mil.kr >
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