The South Korean Navy will dispatch ten troops of its elite underwater demolition team (UDT) to help United Arab Emirates (UAE) forces mid next month, the defence ministry said.
The dispatch of troops follows the successful rescue operation, code-named “Dawn of Gulf of Aden”, performed in January against Somali pirates an official said.
The deployment of the additional dispatch doesn’t require approval at the National Assembly as the Korean Parliament had already approved a dispatch of up to 150 troops to the UAE late last year.
South Korea currently operates a 130-strong special forces unit, known as Ahk, to help train local troops in anti-terrorism and parachute infiltration while also conducting joint drills.
The presence of South Korean troops in the UAE would boost military and other ties between the countries, however, critics claim that the deployment is linked to a deal between the two nations.
South Korea has won a $20bn contract from the UAE to build four nuclear reactors by 2020, according to Yonhap News.
