Lebanese to Benchmark Economic Growth
A group of Lebanese officials and students will be touring Seoul's finance and cultural hubs as part of a goodwill program organized by a South Korean unit stationed in the Middle East nation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
The group, consisting of 25 local provincial leaders and students, arrived in Seoul Tuesday, accompanying South Korean peacekeepers returning home after their replacements arrived in the war-torn nation.
Some 359 soldiers with the Dongmyeong Unit have replaced the returning troops, marking the sixth such deployment to Lebanon by South Korea. The first deployment of Korean troops to Lebanon took place in July 2007 as part of the United Nations interim forces overseeing a cease-fire and setting up a buffer zone between Lebanon and Israel.
For 10 days until Feb. 4, the Lebanese delegation will visit various folk and history museums in Seoul; the joint security area near the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas; a broadcasting network; and large companies, according to the JCS.
More than 13,000 troops from over 30 countries are working with the U.N. forces in Lebanon, whose missions include overseeing the border area with Israel in southern Lebanon and ensuring the stability of the central Lebanese government.
Besides patrols and security-related missions, the Korean contingent conducts community outreach activities focused on rebuilding schools and medical facilities.
The Dongmyeong Unit extended a similar invitation to Lebanese civilians in February and July last year, promoting Korean culture, including its traditional martial art, taekwondo.