South Korean peacekeepers support infrastructure, agriculture initiatives in South Sudan
Felix Kim
From civil engineering projects to dispensing medical supplies and introducing a new variety of rice, South Korean peacekeepers are helping enhance South Sudan’s infrastructure and supporting the young nation’s population.
Known as the Hanbit Unit, Seoul’s peacekeepers first deployed to the Central African nation in 2013 to help improve living conditions, boost security and foster development within the framework of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. The unit’s 17th deployment is rotating out of South Sudan in April 2024 after completing about 120 U.N. support task orders since August 2023.
Building all-weather infrastructure has been a unit focus. Dirt tracks are the primary thoroughfares in South Sudan, but they are inundated or destroyed by flooding during the rainy season from April to November. Beginning in December 2023, the Hanbit peacekeepers repaired a major route connecting the cities of Bor and Akobo, according to South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). The newly paved road will enable year-round transportation of food and other supplies to a population that frequently faces famine.
“The road restored by the Hanbit Unit is a meaningful road that connects life and peace to South Sudan and presents hope and prosperity,” Republic of Korea Army Col. Park Yo-han, the unit’s commander, said in an MND news release.
The unit deployed more than 870 personnel along with bulldozers, graders and other engineering equipment, and was assisted by a battalion of Indian and Nepalese Soldiers who provided security support as part of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
In mid-2023, the Hanbit Unit completed work on Bor Freedom Square, the largest athletics complex in the South Sudan state of Jonglei, according to UNMISS. The sports field was leveled and resurfaced to prevent flooding and make it usable year-round. The South Korean peacekeepers also distributed sports equipment and educational materials, while conducting free medical outreach, including orthopedic consultations.
“Idleness among young people is one of the key drivers of criminality; this can be addressed if youth are gainfully occupied … [and] now these grounds are conducive for young people to meet and build team spirit through sport,” Mabil Makuach Dau, Jonglei’s culture, youth and sports minister, said in a news release. “This, hopefully, will help them spend their time productively.”
In December 2023, Ethiopian and South Korean peacekeepers dispensed medications, wheelchairs and other equipment at Pariak Primary Health Center in Kolnyang, a community in Jonglei.
Food security is another priority for the Hanbit Unit. Working with South Sudan’s Dr. John Garang Memorial University, the unit introduced the cultivation of a new rice variety. Known as “Korous” — combining Korea and the local word for rice — the variety was introduced specifically to flourish in local conditions and climate.
The first rice planting in October 2023 produced 200 kilograms in January 2024, the MND reported. The rice was distributed in March 2024 at an event hosted by the university and the Hanbit Unit to teach Jonglei residents how to cultivate the crop.
“The success of this project will not only help our people become less reliant on humanitarian food assistance but will also help build a peaceful environment that, ultimately, will result in development and youth employment,” John Samuel Manyuon, the state’s acting governor, said in a UNMISS news release.
Felix Kim is a FORUM contributor reporting from Seoul, South Korea.
