S. Korea to join anti-disaster exercise by regional security forum

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will send an air force unit and emergency
personnel next week to participate in the first-ever combined exercise by Asia's
largest security forum, its defense ministry said Friday.

ARF, or the ASEAN Regional Forum, is scheduled to hold the Voluntary
Demonstration of Response of Disaster Exercise from Monday to Friday on Luzon
island in the Philippines, the Ministry of National Defense said.
ASEAN refers to the 10-nation association of Southeast Asian countries that also
includes Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar, among others.
The anti-disaster exercise will mark the first time the forum has held a joint
drill since its 1994 inception, the ministry said in a release. The United
States, China, Japan and Australia are also members of the organization.
South Korea will send a C-130 transport aircraft with a crew of seven and a team
of 10 rescue workers from its fire department to join the drill, the ministry
said.
Ten members of the ARF will deploy units for the exercise that focuses on
recovery, medical support, rescue and search operations, while the others will
serve as observers, it said.
The U.S. will send a group of 800 rescue workers and troops and Japan 80 while
the host, the Philippines, will mobilize 1,000 for the drill.
"This is a non-military exercise that will help the countries improve their joint
readiness against various disasters," Won Tae-jae, ministry spokesman, said.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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