1. The Republic of Korea and Thailand will jointly conduct the 3rd ARF Disaster Relief Exercise (DiREx) in Thailand in 2013 to contribute to improving disaster response capacity and strengthening civil-military cooperation in disaster relief in the Asia-Pacific region.

2. The DiREx, aimed at boosting cooperation in disaster relief among the ARF’s 27 member countries, is an event where the member countries mobilize their civilian and military assets and conduct field training exercises and table top exercises, including search and rescue operations, and medical treatment, in hypothetical large-scale disaster situations such as earthquake and tsunami. The DiREx was jointly held by the Philippines and the US in May, 2009, in the Philippines, and by Indonesia and Japan in March, 2011, in Indonesia.

3. The DiREx represents an exemplary case of action-oriented ARF activities in the area of disaster relief, where active intra-regional cooperation is taking place. The joint exercise by the ROK and Thailand is expected to strengthen bilateral relations and Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT)’s capacity, as well as contribute to the ARF’s activities.

4. The ROK government will closely consult with the co-host Thailand to successfully conduct the ARF DiREx in 2013, and make thorough preparations for the exercise with domestic organizations in charge of overseas emergency relief, including the Ministry of National Defense and the National Emergency Management Agency. 


                Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation