Seoul: A ceremony took place on Monday to form the 33rd and final contingent of the South Korean peacekeeping unit stationed in Lebanon, as the unit prepares to conclude its mission with the impending expiration of its U.N. mandate later this year. The contingent, known as the Dongmyeong unit, has been operating in Lebanon's southern Tyre region since 2007 under the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), contributing to the maintenance of peace in the region.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the U.N. Security Council last August decided to extend UNIFIL's mandate only until the end of this year, with a one-year period allocated for withdrawal. The formation ceremony for this final deployment was held at the International Peace Supporting Standby Force headquarters in Incheon, located west of Seoul.

The 33rd contingent will undergo a period of training before their scheduled departure in September, marking the end of South Korea's longstanding peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.