S. Korea to replace its troops in Lebanon

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is set to deploy 359 soldiers to Lebanon
to replace its contingent serving as United Nations peacekeepers there, the
Korean Army said Thursday, marking the sixth such deployment to the Middle
Eastern country since 2007.

The Dongmyeong Unit will leave for Lebanon later this month after a send-off
ceremony Thursday attended by more than 1,000 family members and military
officials.
The first deployment of South Korean troops to Lebanon took place in July 2007 as
part of U.N. interim forces overseeing a cease-fire and setting up a buffer zone
between Lebanon and Israel.
The battalion-sized contingent, comprising infantry, medics and engineering
personnel, is also assigned to patrol the streets and conduct humanitarian relief
operations in the war-torn region.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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