Korean military unit takes part in rice harvesting in South Sudan

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Korean military unit takes part in rice harvesting in South Sudan

Published: 13 Oct. 2024, 14:27 Updated: 13 Oct. 2024, 16:22

Service members of the Korean military's Hanbit unit take part in harvesting rice at an unspecified location in South Sudan, in this undated photo provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [YONHAP]

Korea’s military contingent stationed in South Sudan has participated in a rice-harvesting event in South Sudan as part of efforts to help the country cope with food shortages, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Sunday.

The event, held at Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science in the central region of Bor, came as the Hanbit unit has been providing assistance to the African nation to improve its farming, such as by teaching farming techniques and operating farms to grow crops.

In July, the unit planted four types of Korean and African varieties on a 1,150-square-meter plot of land inside the university compound.

On Thursday, the unit harvested some 500 kilograms of rice from this area, the JCS said.

The produce and rice seeds were distributed to residents, and the unit plans to use the remainder for research purposes to enhance the country's rice harvest.

A separate ceremony also took place to mark the restart of the vocational school for agriculture, a project led by the Hanbit unit to help the country improve agricultural technologies. The school was temporarily shut down by flooding in 2022.

Since 2014, the unit has operated a farm to grow corn and other crops to combat food shortages. The unit plans to expand its rice farming to a 10,800-square-meter field and create the agricultural technology center to pass on farming techniques to the university's students and nearby residents.

Korea first deployed the Hanbit unit in 2013 to help maintain peace and assist in recovery efforts in the East African country, which has been rocked by a civil war.

The unit's latest rotation of some 270 troops departed Korea in phases last month for an eight-month mission.

Yonhap