Yet Another Member of the Unilateral Coalition

Interesting news from The Korea Times (installing Korean characters not necessary. Select "cancel")

ROK Soldiers Rush To Apply For Iraq

The number of soldiers volunteering to join the country’s contingent to be dispatched to Iraq for rehabilitation work has far exceeded the required figure less than a week after recruitment started, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the number of applicants had reached 18,000 as of Wednesday morning, some 5.1 times more than the 3,585 needed.

By rank, about 3,800 applied for the 523 posts allocated for officers, while some 13,300 noncommissioned officers expressed interest in 966 posts allotted. For rank-and-file soldiers, about 6,800 privates asked for only 2,065 jobs.

Particularly, more and more privates are applying for the opportunity, although the application letters should be accompanied by a parental consent form.

Ministry officials expected the overall figure will keep increasing to an application rate of five-to-one by Tuesday, when applications close.

``We didn’t actively advertise the application plan in consideration of the fact that the troop dispatch motion has not been approved by the National Assembly yet. But we can now feel the heated atmosphere,’’ an official said.

He ascribed the rush to join the overseas mission to the soldiers’ sense of duty to help the Iraqi people who are suffering from security concerns, poverty and poor living conditions after the U.S.-led war to topple former leader Saddam Hussein.

The article also hints that financial considerations may have played a part in their decision, as there are monetary "perks" involoved. But perhaps they haven't "forgotten" their own nation's rebuilding?

Or perhaps they're just doing the right thing, even if it's hard?

By the way, from my time in Korea, ROK troops, especially the career guys, are tough SOB's.