South Korea ' s Army held a send - off ceremony for some 130 elite combat troops set to be dispatched to the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) to help train the Middle East nation ' s special forces . ( Yonhap News ) South Korea ' s Army held a send - off ceremony Monday for some 130 elite combat troops set to be dispatched to the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) to help train the Middle East nation ' s special forces , officials said . The deployment to the UAE , set for Tuesday , comes about a month after the National Assembly endorsed it following a South Korean consortium winning a US $ 20 billion deal in late 2009 to build nuclear reactors in the oil - rich country . President Lee Myung - bak called the dispatch an opportunity to contribute to South Korea ' s national interest and international peace . ' For the Republic of Korea , this dispatch is a new model of military cooperation aimed at sharing our training experience with the United Arab Emirates in a non - conflict region , ' Lee said in a speech read by Defense Minister Kim Kwan - jin at the ceremony , referring to South Korea by its official name . Lee said the dispatch will ' significantly help solidify our energy security and expand trade in the Middle East . ' The main roles for the Korean special forces will be helping educate and train their UAE counterparts , engaging in joint exercises and protecting South Korean citizens in case of emergencies , officials said . The Korean contingent will not be tasked with protecting South Korean workers , who will begin construction of the nuclear power plants early this year . The unit ' Akh , ' meaning brother in the Arabic language , will be based in the eastern region of Al Ain for two years . An advance team of 10 troops arrived there last month ahead of the main deployment . Some 600 people , including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Han Min - koo and families of the troops , attended the ceremony . Since early last month , the troops have received four weeks of training for the overseas mission . Col . Choi Han - oh , commander of the Akh unit , said his troops were committed to successfully carrying out their duty . ' As a representative of the Republic of Korea , we will contribute to upgrading the national profile of our country by thoroughly carrying out our mission , ' Choi said . ( Yonhap News )