Seoul, July 18, (dpa/GNA) – South Korea is bringing home all the members of its anti-piracy naval unit off the coast of Africa because of a coronavirus outbreak on a warship.
Two air force transport planes took off on Sunday to pick up the crew of the destroyer Munmu the Great, a Defence Ministry spokesman in Seoul said.
According to reports by news agency Yonhap, 68 members of the unit have so far tested positive for the coronavirus.
The number of infections could still rise as the test results of about 200 other crew members of the destroyer are still pending, Yonhap reported, citing military officials.
According to the report, the crew will be replaced by 148 soldiers who were travelling on the transport aircraft.
The destroyer will then be brought back to South Korea.
Since its first deployment in March 2009 to the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and northern Somalia, the Cheonghae unit’s main task has been to ensure the safe passage of South Korean ships there.
GNA