The National Fire Agency (NFA) on March 5 announced its plans for international rescues for this year. Shown is the agency's international rescue team in February 2023 conducting operations at the site of an earthquake in Turkiye (Turkey). (NFA)

By Charles Audouin

The National Fire Agency on March 5 announced the launch of an operational improvement team to support efficient overseas activity by its international rescue squad, aka the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT).

The new team will streamline the KDRT's overall operations including policy planning and execution, capacity building of staff, equipment management and personnel development. KDRT personnel will also attend specialized training and academic seminars abroad to strengthen their skills and promote Korea's best case studies by benchmarking them.

In July, the NFA will take part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' disaster response exercise in Cambodia to demonstrate Korea's rescue know-how and form a cooperative network with Asia-Pacific countries.

Launched in 1997, the KDRT annually picks specialists from firefighters nationwide, with 143 active members this year.

In 2011, the team received the highest rating of "heavy" in the United Nations' global evaluation of rescue capability. The NFA said this grants it the authority to prioritize and work in areas abroad with a high probability of survivor rescue in case of a large-scale disaster.

caudouin@korea.kr