Korea to send 151 firefighters, emergency workers to wildfire-hit Canada
Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks during a government-civic emergency meeting to provide assistance to Canada, which is struggling with its worst-ever wildfires, at the foreign ministry in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Korea on Thursday decided to dispatch an emergency firefighting team to Canada to help the North American nation deal with raging wildfires across the country, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
The decision to send the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) of 151 workers ― including firefighters, emergency workers and medical personnel ― was made at an interagency meeting presided over by Foreign Minister Park Jin on assisting Canada with the fallout of wildfires that have affected some 8.2 million hectares of land across the country.
The team will support Canadian fire authorities for 30 days in Lebel-sur-Quevillon in the province of Quebec.
Park expressed hopes that the dispatch of the team would serve as an opportunity for the two countries, which are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, to take a leap forward beyond their cooperation in wildfire suppression.
The dispatch of the KDRT marks the second mission of its kind this year following its activities in helping out Turkey with damage caused by a massive earthquake in February. (Yonhap)