[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] When COVID-19 cases were confirmed among the 34th deployment of the Navy's Cheonghae Unit dispatched near the African waters, the military authorities decided to transfer about 290 soldiers who had been living together on the ship to Korea as early as next week. The returning soldiers will all be quarantined for two weeks, and necessary measures will be taken.
On the 16th, a Joint Chiefs of Staff official said, "On the 15th at around midnight (Korean time), PCR tests were conducted on all members of the 34th Cheonghae Unit, and the test results will be available around the 17th," adding, "Among the six confirmed cases, one hospitalized at a local hospital has improved, and the remaining five are under treatment."
The 34th Cheonghae Unit, consisting of about 300 personnel, has been performing its mission aboard the Munmu Daewang ship. Recently, six members tested positive, and about 80 were classified as symptomatic and quarantined on the ship. The military authorities plan to establish a detailed transfer plan based on the diagnostic test results. Additionally, in cooperation with local embassies of countries adjacent to the African waters, they plan to dispatch two KC-330 multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft. In July last year, two KC-330s were also used for the special transport of about 290 dispatched workers wishing to return from Iraq, where COVID-19 had spread.
The transport aircraft will depart with essential personnel who will navigate the Munmu Daewang ship back to Korea. This means temporarily suspending the mission of the 34th Cheonghae Unit and bringing them home early. Originally, the Munmu Daewang ship was scheduled to hand over its mission to the 35th Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer (KDX-II, 4,400 tons), which departed last month, and return home around mid-August. The military expects a large-scale outbreak to be inevitable because the unvaccinated Cheonghae Unit soldiers have been living together in confined spaces.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
