Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark have announced that New Zealand will continue its current deployment of six
New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel to South Korea.
“Continuing our deployment in South Korea demonstrates New Zealand’s strong commitment to supporting the maintenance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” said Mr Peters.
Five NZDF personnel are deployed to the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC), where they help administer the terms of the Korean Armistice Agreement through conducting inspections, education programmes, and providing support in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. One further NZDF officer is deployed into the United Nations Command Headquarters, in the Multinational Coordination Centre.
“New Zealand has been contributing to UNCMAC since 1998, making it one of our most enduring deployments in the Asia-Pacific region. The renewed deployment mandate will extend until August 2021,” Mr Peters said.
“NZDF personnel deployed to the United Nations Command and UNCMAC play an important role in supporting the implementation of the Korean Armistice Agreement. They also contribute to confidence-building through supporting engagement with North Korea in the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone,” says Mr Mark.
