ID :
61802
Fri, 05/22/2009 - 00:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/61802
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea to send kimchi to troops in Somali waters to boost morale
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Complimenting hundreds of South Korean troops operating
under a multinational anti-piracy campaign in Somali waters, the country's top
Navy officer promised Thursday to send a ton of kimchi to boost their morale,
officials said.
Kimchi is a side dish eaten with almost all traditional Korean meals, made with
cabbage, radishes, cucumber, garlic and red chili peppers.
The amount would be enough to feed the 300-member crew for at least a month,
according to Navy officials. They said Kimchi has been in large demand since the
deployment of the Cheonghae unit early last month.
"The unit has been buying kimchi from a local importer in the region and
complained of high prices and low quality," an official said, speaking on
customary condition of anonymity.
"We are guaranteeing that the additional shipment we're planning to send later
this month will be fresh and genuinely Korean-made," he said.
Delivering a message of gratitude to the unit operating aboard a destroyer, Navy
Chief of Staff Jung Ok-keun hoped the shipment would help boost crewmembers'
spirits.
"It has been two months since our troops left their homeland," Jung was quoted as
saying in a statement. "I have ordered that 1,000 kilograms of kimchi be
delivered to them as they must miss their country's traditional food by now."
The Munmu the Great destroyer mainly operates to protect South Korean vessels in
the region where over 110 pirate-related incidents took place last year, a
five-fold jump from two years earlier.
By deploying an on-board Linx helicopter, the ship has either driven away or
helped capture pirates on four occasions, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
On May 4, the unit rescued a North Korean freighter from being hijacked by
suspected pirates.
Approximately 500 South Korean ships ply the route each year, according to the
South Korean defense ministry, which estimates 150 are vulnerable to pirate
attacks because of their low speed.
Somalia has not had a functional government since its dictator was overthrown by
warlords in 1991. Poverty has driven a large number of locals to piracy, while
black market sales of weapons run rampant.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- Complimenting hundreds of South Korean troops operating
under a multinational anti-piracy campaign in Somali waters, the country's top
Navy officer promised Thursday to send a ton of kimchi to boost their morale,
officials said.
Kimchi is a side dish eaten with almost all traditional Korean meals, made with
cabbage, radishes, cucumber, garlic and red chili peppers.
The amount would be enough to feed the 300-member crew for at least a month,
according to Navy officials. They said Kimchi has been in large demand since the
deployment of the Cheonghae unit early last month.
"The unit has been buying kimchi from a local importer in the region and
complained of high prices and low quality," an official said, speaking on
customary condition of anonymity.
"We are guaranteeing that the additional shipment we're planning to send later
this month will be fresh and genuinely Korean-made," he said.
Delivering a message of gratitude to the unit operating aboard a destroyer, Navy
Chief of Staff Jung Ok-keun hoped the shipment would help boost crewmembers'
spirits.
"It has been two months since our troops left their homeland," Jung was quoted as
saying in a statement. "I have ordered that 1,000 kilograms of kimchi be
delivered to them as they must miss their country's traditional food by now."
The Munmu the Great destroyer mainly operates to protect South Korean vessels in
the region where over 110 pirate-related incidents took place last year, a
five-fold jump from two years earlier.
By deploying an on-board Linx helicopter, the ship has either driven away or
helped capture pirates on four occasions, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
On May 4, the unit rescued a North Korean freighter from being hijacked by
suspected pirates.
Approximately 500 South Korean ships ply the route each year, according to the
South Korean defense ministry, which estimates 150 are vulnerable to pirate
attacks because of their low speed.
Somalia has not had a functional government since its dictator was overthrown by
warlords in 1991. Poverty has driven a large number of locals to piracy, while
black market sales of weapons run rampant.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
