1. The Republic of Korea Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan, which has actively carried out reconstruction activities in Parwan, Afghanistan, since July, 2010, held a ceremony to mark the end of its mission in Afghanistan on June 23 and officially concluded its four-year provincial reconstruction mission.

o The withdrawal of the Korean PRT is part of the full withdrawal of PRTs of each country following the completion of International Security Assistance Force(ISAF)’s mission at the end of this year.

2. The Korean PRT has played a pivotal role in the ROK government’s support for Afghanistan. With an aim to actively contribute to resolving the Afghan issue, which is the key to regional stability, the ROK government, as a responsible middle-power country that helps promote global peace, has actively joined global partnership to support the reconstruction of Afghanistan over the past 10 years. Specifically, the government operated its PRT in Parwan, pledged to provide 500 million dollars from 2011 to 2015, and gave 280 million dollars in grant aid from 1987 to 2012.

o In particular, the ROK government has played an active role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan by sharing with the Afghan people the unique development experience of the ROK, which transformed itself from a recipient to a donor for a short period of time. This clearly demonstrates the ROK government’s determination to give support to Afghanistan and the ROK’s competitive edge in the support.

3. The Korean PRT, consisting of the Foreign Ministry officials, Ashena Unit, police officers, KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) officials, and hospital and vocational training center personnel, was a large-scale comprehensive project that has a special meaning in the ROK’s history of foreign aid. A total of about 2,500 personnel were injected into the project over the last four years. The Korean personnel, who were exposed to threats of attacks and in poor working conditions in Afghanistan, successfully completed its mission by working to successfully support the reconstruction of Afghanistan and reaching out to the Afghan people with a sense of duty, spirit of volunteerism, and determination to make a constructive contribution.

4. The ROK government launched its PRT in Parwan for the first time in July, 2010. The government began its PRT activities in earnest by building a Korean base in Charikar and successfully handed it over to the government of Afghanistan in December, 2012. After that, the ROK has successfully conducted reconstruction projects for the Afghan people, including operating a hospital and a vocational training center in the Bagram Airfield and carrying out other projects outside the base (construction of pedestrian bridges, schools, pilot farms and health centers).

o In such process, Korea’s Ashena Unit, sent to Afghanistan, successfully conducted its mission of ensuring the safety of the Korean PRT members and strengthening partnership with allies. This holds big significance in that the private sector and the military worked together and created a successful case of assistance in Afghanistan.

5. In his congratulatory remarks at the ceremony to mark the Korean PRT’s end of mission, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Lee Kyung-soo explained the significance of the Korean PRT activities, the ROK government’s efforts to support the reconstruction of Afghanistan, the Korean PRT projects tailored to the needs of the Afghan people, and the PRT’s tangible achievements that made substantive contributions to improving the quality of life for the Afghan people and developing the Afghan economy and society. The Deputy Minister also expressed the ROK government’s willingness to continue to provide support to Afghanistan.

o Furthermore, Deputy Minister Lee met with the Deputy Commanding General of ISAF Regional Command and the Governor of Parwan Province and expressed appreciation for their support for the Korean PRT’s activities. The Deputy Minister especially requested their interest in the safety of personnel at a Korean office in Bagram and close coordination with them.

6. Unlike other countries’ reconstruction activities, mainly led by the military, the Korean PRT activities, joined by both the private sector and the military, have been focused on sharing the ROK’s development experience with the people of Afghanistan and carrying out projects tailored to the needs of the Afghan people, including helping them secure their foundation of independence for sustainable livelihood.

o While the international community has worked to make progress on the development of the Afghan economy and society over the last ten years, the activities of the Korean PRT played a big role in the process. The activities were commended by allies and the Afghan people for substantive contributions to improving the quality of life for the Afghan people.

o The hospital in Bagram, having treated a total of 150,000 patients for the past four years, is being recognized as one of the most reliable hospitals in Afghanistan. The vocational training center, which has produced a total of 439 graduates, gained a good reputation, with some calling it the “MIT of Afghanistan.”

7. Even after the end of the Korean PRT’s mission, the ROK government will maintain the momentum for support to Afghanistan and as part of efforts to continue its contribution to Afghanistan’s reconstruction, the government will continue to run the hospital and the vocational training center in Bagram under a bilateral official development assistance (ODA) program.

o To that end, the ROK will establish its office in Bagram and take over the work of the existing PRT office.

o The Korean PRT is one of the remaining 6 of 26 PRTs in Afghanistan which will withdraw this year. Unlike other countries, the ROK will continue its activities even after the withdrawal.

8. The successful completion of the Korean PRT mission was an opportunity for the ROK government to pursue its foreign policy of making constructive contributions to resolving global issues on the ground. It holds big significance in that it was one of the largest projects in the ROK’s foreign assistance in terms of the size of the personnel and resources injected.

o Korea’s such contribution through PRT activities helped significantly enhance its status as a responsible middle-power country that contributes to global peace, solidify partnership with the international community and allies, and strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations between the ROK and Afghanistan. 


                      Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

*unofficial translation