The Sun shines bright in Leyte

Last December 27, I had the privilege of welcoming Korean military troops as they arrived in Cebu for rehabilitation and recovery operations in the areas destroyed by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan). They are part of a 500-member contingent — composed mostly of engineers and medical personnel — that will be on a one-year reconstruction mission in Leyte, particularly in Tanauan and other towns around Tacloban City.

The atmosphere on that day was quite different from when I was in Tacloban City a month earlier, in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. I went there on November 17 to personally assess the situation and commend and encourage the Korea Disaster Relief Team, composed of medical and rescue teams, in the performance of their mandate. At the time, I saw utter destruction and sadness in many of the areas I visited. It could have been a truly heartbreaking picture if not for the images of hope, such as the generous outpouring of support from the international and local communities, and the smiles of the survivors that masked their grief.

Immediately after Typhoon Yolanda struck the Visayas, the people of the world, including millions of Koreans, joined hands to help the Filipinos. In fact, the desire to lend a hand was the general sentiment throughout Korea. The consensus was to assist the Philippines in its time of great need, as the Filipinos helped Korea during the extremely difficult period that was the Korean War. This led to a spontaneous and widespread fund-raising campaign that resulted in a sizeable amount of assistance under the supervision of the Korean Red Cross.

For its part, the Korean government pledged US$25 million for relief, recovery and rehabilitation operations. It may not be as substantial as the contributions of other countries, such as the US, UK, Australia and Japan, but it comes from the heart of every Korean, especially in this case.

The arrival of the military contingent last December 27th was the first time that Korean troops have been sent abroad on a post-disaster reconstruction, instead of peacekeeping, mission. The unit is known as “Araw” or “Sun,” which bodes well for the mission because of the optimism that the sun represents. Their arrival is, indeed, timely, for the Philippine government has already started rehabilitating the affected areas.

I was very proud of that moment when Korean soldiers stood with their Filipino counterparts in a show of solidarity and cooperation. Defense Undersecretary Eduardo Batac, who was also there to welcome the troops, said that the Philippine government and its people were thankful to Korea for its support. For many Koreans, helping was a demonstration of both gratitude and duty.

Patience, hard work, compassion. These are Korean traits that play a big part in this milestone mission. Our soldiers who are now here, working in cooperation with their resilient Filipino brothers, are very enthusiastic, and do not mind being away from their families for a year. They do not have to be convinced that the Filipinos can rise again from this disaster, because they see the strength of every Filipino man, woman and child in the face of adversity. As a new year starts, the sun shines bright in Leyte.

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(Lee Hyuk is the Ambassador of South Korea.)