UNIFIL peacekeepers from the Republic of Korea received United Nations medals earlier this week for their service in furthering peace in south Lebanon.

At a medal parade ceremony held on 11 April in the Korean Battalion’s main base near the village of Yanuh in south Lebanon, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary, Deputy Head of Mission Imran Riza, Deputy Force Commander Major General Shivaram Kharel, Sector West Commander Brigadier General Rodolfo Sganga, Korean Ambassador to Lebanon Lee Young Man and the Commanding Officer of the Battalion Colonel JIN Chul Ho gave out medals to some 330 peacekeepers.

Lebanese Armed Forces officials, Lebanese government officials, other UNIFIL peacekeepers and local civilians also attended the ceremony.

The Korean troop contribution to UNIFIL, which started in 2007, is the country’s longest foreign deployment of its armed forces. To date, about 6,700 Korean troops have served in UNIFIL.

Besides carrying out various operational activities in fulfilling the Mission’s mandate under UN Security Council resolution 1701, the Korean peacekeepers implement several small-scale projects directly benefiting the local communities.

To date, they have implemented about 370 such projects – such as road pavements, installation of solar-powered street lights, school supplies donations. They have also provided free medical support to some 100,000 Lebanese patients. They regularly run taekwondo classes for the locals as well as for the fellow peacekeepers from other countries.

Speaking at the 11 April medal parade ceremony, Col. Jin said: “As the Korean Armed Forces’ longest foreign deployed unit, the Korean contingent will continue to instil peace and hope to Lebanon.”