1. The Korean provincial reconstruction team (PRT) will hold an inauguration ceremony and officially 
start its operation in Parwan, Afghanistan, on July 1. Prior to this, an event will be held on June 30, during 
which the authority for the PRT operation in Parwan will be transferred to Korea from the US. The transfer 
of the authority will take place as the US PRT that has been operating in Parwan will be relocated to 
Uruzgan on June 30 to fill the void from the withdrawal of the Dutch PRT.

2. Since its October 2009 announcement of the decision to set up a PRT, the government has steadily 
taken a range of necessary steps, including the dispatch of a fact-finding team; PRT-site selection; 
consultations on projects in Afghanistan; efforts to win the National Assembly’s approval for troops 
dispatch for PRT protection; formal participation in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF); 
and the construction of the PRT base. Also, part of the personnel, including the PRT representative, 
were sent to Parwan this June to prepare for the launch of the PRT mission in July.

3. As of June 30, a total 147 are deployed to the country, with the main batch of troops slated to arrive in 
early July, which will bring the total number of the Korean PRT personnel to 289 (49 civilians, 8 police 
officers and 232 soldiers). The remainder of the planned workforce will be sent in phases at appropriate 
times in terms of overall preparations and the progress in the construction of the PRT base.

4. Starting with the dispatch of advisors to the provincial government, invitations to education programs in 
Korea, and provision of various equipments for schools and public health facilities, the Korean PRT plans 
to conduct projects in such major fields as fostering administrative capabilities, medical service, education, 
vocational training, and agriculture and rural development, which will help Afghanistan build capacity to 
stand on its own.

5. With the inauguration of its mission, the Korean PRT, the establishment of which has drawn a 
keen interest and hail from the Afghan central government, the Parwan provincial government and 
the international community, is expected to contribute to Korea sharing its development experience 
with Afghanistan and substantially improving the quality of life of the Afghan people.

                        Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation