The Government is substantially increasing the deployment of NZ Defence Force personnel to South Korea, increasing its contribution to United Nations Command (UNC) and its Military Armistice Commission from 12 to up to 53.

This means the deployment of 41 additional personnel.

The announcement was made by Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters on Tuesday.

“This decision reflects our strong commitment to the Republic of Korea, and our need to step up to better support peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and the Indo-Pacific more widely,” Collins said.

“This deployment is an excellent opportunity for our NZDF personnel to utilise their skills, leadership and experience in a multinational environment,” she said.

Defence has been a priority for the Government, which included $571 million of new funding to boost pay for Defence Force staff, upgrade its NH90 helicopter fleet and replace dated military vehicles. It was the second big funding boost the force had received after years of stagnation. Labour also included funding to increase pay.

Up to six of the additional personnel will take on roles in the UNC Honour Guard, while an infantry platoon of up to 35 of the additional personnel will join the UNC Security Battalion operating in the Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea.

They will work alongside contributing nations, including the Republic of Korea, the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.

Peters said the increase was substantial and reflected “the importance New Zealand places on collective security efforts that support peace and stability and the international rules-based system in the Indo-Pacific region, and on the Korean Peninsula in particular”.

The NZ Defence Foece has contributed to the UNC and its Military Armistice Commission since 1998. The mandate for the deployment has been extended until 2026.

The Defence Force recently deployed one of its P-8 Posiedon aircraft to Japan to monitor United Nations Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on North Korea. The sanctions are intended to persuade North Korea to denuclearise and abandon its ballistic missile capabilities.

That deployment provoked the ire of the North Korean Government which included New Zealand on a list of countries it accused of conducting “military interference” in the region. North Korea attacked the increased surveillance of the country by American allies.

Thomas Coughlan is Deputy Political Editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.