Two COVID-19 Cases Confirmed at Dongmyeong Unit

Since the Dongmyeong Unit was dispatched in July 2007, it has carried out over 31,000 operations to date, and in the 16th rotation, which completed its mission and returned in the past eight months, it identified as many as 13 suspected terrorist vehicles.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Two soldiers from the 25th Dongmyeong Unit deployed in Lebanon, Middle East, have tested positive for COVID-19. This is the third deployed unit to have confirmed cases following the Cheonghae Unit and Hanbit Unit.

According to military authorities on the 4th, the two Dongmyeong Unit soldiers were confirmed positive on the 27th of last month and the 1st of this month, and are currently quarantined within the unit. The 25th deployment has been carrying out its mission since April last year and is scheduled to be rotated this month. The two soldiers who tested positive will be quarantined and receive additional vaccine doses (booster shots) once they return to Korea this month.

The Dongmyeong Unit was dispatched to Lebanon in the Middle East in 2007 as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) amid deteriorating tensions due to clashes between Israel and Hezbollah. The 350-strong Dongmyeong Unit deployed in southern Lebanon conducts solo and joint surveillance operations to prevent the infiltration of armed forces and operates joint checkpoints with other deployed countries.

Vaccines for booster shots for soldiers in deployed units are expected to be transported from Korea within this month. Currently, there are four deployed units: the Ark Unit (United Arab Emirates, UAE), Cheonghae Unit (Gulf of Aden), Dongmyeong Unit (Lebanon), and Hanbit Unit (South Sudan).

The Ark Unit has started administering booster shots at a local hospital. So far, eight soldiers have received the booster. The Ark Unit has a hospital with vaccination facilities near its stationed area, and it is reported that in the UAE, those holding local residence visas can receive vaccines. The Cheonghae Unit will also begin vaccinations locally this month with the cooperation of the port country Oman authorities.

However, since the Dongmyeong Unit and Hanbit Unit are scheduled for troop rotation soon, vaccine shipments for personnel remaining locally are planned to be completed within this month.

A military official stated, "Since additional vaccinations have already started for all soldiers domestically, considering the urgent situation such as the spread of the Omicron variant, we plan to ensure that overseas deployed units can receive vaccines as quickly as possible."

Meanwhile, as of the 4th, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the military increased by 21. The additional confirmed cases belong to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Ministry of National Defense direct units. Among the 21, 20 are breakthrough infections confirmed more than two weeks after completing vaccination. The cumulative number of confirmed cases in the military is 3,332, of which 1,527 (45.8%) are breakthrough infections.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.