By Jung Sung-ki
Staff reporter
The military launched a 1,000-strong standby unit Thursday to support international peacekeeping operations (PKO) in an effort to facilitate the quick deployment of peacekeeping troops to troubled regions worldwide.
Soldiers of the "Onnuri" unit will be deployed to troubled regions within a month after approval from the National Assembly, Col. Yoo Jae-ik, chief of the Ministry of National Defense's international cooperation bureau, said.
"With the creation of the PKO unit, we will be able to participate in international peacekeeping missions more quickly and readily than before," Yoo said.
The troops are required to undergo physical and language training for overseas deployment.
The unit, which will be dispatched in rotation or as augmentation troops, consists of soldiers specialized in engineering, transport and medical services, he added.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Hwang Eui-don said the creation of the unit will play a pivotal role in upgrading the country's international profile as well as contributing to global efforts to maintain peace and stability.
"The creation of the PKO unit will serve as a historic turning point for the Republic of Korea to increase its national standing," Hwang said in a ceremony to mark the unit's inauguration at an army base south of Seoul.
"The unit will be ready and fully trained to conduct peacekeeping operations immediately whenever we're required to deploy troops."
President Lee Myung-bak has pledged to raise the country's international profile by actively participating in PKO missions around the world to match the nation's economic status in the global community.
Currently, about 1,200 troops are conducting operations in 17 regions of 14 nations, including Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, Nepal and Afghanistan.