U.N. Calls for Korean Troop Dispatch to Haiti

The United Nations has called on Korea to dispatch its troops as peacekeeping forces to Haiti, a Caribbean island currently under extreme anarchy.

An official with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations said on November 24, “The U.N. Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) has officially asked Korea to send one company of 150 military engineers.”

Many nations other than Korea have also reportedly been called upon by the U.N. to dispatch troops for Haiti peacekeeping forces.

“Since Korean troops were highly evaluated with its excellent performance in East Timor peacekeeping operations, there has been an increase in demand worldwide for Korean peacekeeping forces,” an official with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations said. Since former President Jean Bertrand Aristide was ousted by the insurgence of opposition parties and rebels in March, armed conflicts between factions have intensified in Haiti, and the public security has been extremely unstable.

Kwon-Heui Hong konihong@donga.com