Familiar faces were spotted among Korean soldiers who were dispatched to Turkiye, where the earthquake struck. It is Army Captain Kim Hye-joo, who drew attention for her ‘bandage fighting spirit’ at the medical support site during the Corona 19 pandemic.
According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 9th, the military dispatched 50 soldiers from the Army Special Warfare Command and the Armed Forces Medical Command to the Korea Overseas Emergency Rescue Team (KDRT). At the request of the Turkiye government to organize a relief team centered on search and rescue teams, agents were selected with a focus on search and rescue and emergency response capabilities.
Among the selected soldiers of the Medical Command, Captain Kim, who was in the ward at Dongsan Medical Center in Daegu, which was at the forefront of Corona in March 2020, was included. At the time, Captain Kim took care of the patients with a bandage attached to the bridge of his nose. Because he wore a protective mask for a long time, his nose was torn and injured. His image spread through social media and inspired people.
In a video from the Ministry of National Defense, Captain Kim said, “It is impressive to see the public, government, and military all working together to help patients recover. I am very proud to be able to contribute as a member of the Armed Forces Medical Command.”
The Korean Overseas Emergency Relief Team (KDRT) dispatched to Turkiye, which was hit by the earthquake, arrives at Gaziantep Airport in southeast Turkey. (Provided by KDRT) News1In addition to Captain Kim, the relief team dispatched to Turkey included agents with extensive disaster support dispatch experience. Army Lieutenant Colonel Kim Dong-hoon, head of the intensive care unit at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital, has experience in dispatching troops twice, including the Afghanistan Reconstruction Support Group and the Philippine Joint Support Group, and was also dispatched during the COVID-19 crisis in the Cheonghae Unit. Army Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jeong-gil, head of the medical department at Yangju Armed Forces Hospital, also carried out the mission to support the return of Koreans from Iran and Africa twice in 2020.
A number of special forces soldiers joined the search and rescue mission. Among the special forces, 6 have overseas deployment experience and 5 have emergency medical technician licenses.
KDRT was organized with a total of 118 members, including military service members, 6 members of KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency), and 62 members of the Soincheong, including 119 rescue workers. It is the largest relief team dispatched by the Korean government in the event of an overseas disaster. The head of the relief team was Won Do-yeon, director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Development Cooperation Bureau.
Air Force multipurpose aerial refueling transport KC-330 ‘Cygnus’ carrying them took off from Incheon International Airport at around 1:13 am on the 8th and flew for about 12 hours before arriving at around 12:57 pm on the 9th (around 6:57 am local time). Arrived at Gaziantep Ouseli International Airport in southeastern Turkey.
They plan to begin full-fledged relief activities after deciding on the area and mission of their activities in consultation with emergency relief teams from various countries dispatched to the site.
Source: Donga
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