1. An interagency delegation from the Republic of Korea will visit the UN headquarters, South Sudan and Lebanon from July 29 through August 5 to evaluate the operations and achievements by the ROK military units dispatched to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

* The 282-strong Hanbit Unit (composed mostly of military engineers) and the 317-strong Dongmyeong Unit (mostly infantrymen) have been deployed to take part in the UNMISS and UNIFIL missions, respectively.

* The aforementioned delegation will be led by Park Chul-min, the Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Director-General for International Organizations, and comprised of relevant officials from the National Assembly, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

2. The evaluation delegation will first visit the UN headquarters in New York to consult with relevant UN officials on the UN’s peacekeeping operations (PKO) policy and the operation direction of PKO units. It will then proceed to South Sudan and Lebanon to meet with their high-ranking government officials as well as the UNIFIL Force Commander and those in charge of the UNMISS and evaluate the achievements of the ROK military units dispatched to their operations. The delegation will also make tours of the areas where the ROK units are operating to see the tangible achievements made by the ROK units.

3. With the deployment of the Hanbit and Dongmyeong Units due to expire on December 31, 2013, the Foreign Ministry will review the necessity to extend their deployment by drawing upon the outcome of the visit of the evaluation delegation.

                            Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation