As the international community rushes to Türkiye's aid in the aftermath of last Monday's devastating earthquakes, South Korea's National Assembly Tuesday adopted a resolution to support the country as it reels from a catastrophe dubbed the "disaster of the century."
The assembly's plenary session passed the resolution, urging the government for swift support measures for Türkiye and Syria, Yonhap News Agency reported. The lawmakers also announced to donate 3% of their salaries to support the victims' families.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol already ordered the mobilization of all available resources to support Türkiye. Seoul also dispatched a 60-member international rescue team and emergency medical supplies to the earthquake-hit areas.
At least 31,643 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, the country's disaster agency said Monday. The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in Kahramanmaraş province, affected over 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Hatay, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa.
Türkiye and South Korea enjoy good relations dating back to Korean War in the 1950s. The country sent over 21,000 soldiers to fight during the Korean War, 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles) away from the Turkish mainland. The Turkish contingent's efforts endeared them to the people of fledgling South Korea who often refer to Turks as "blood brothers" for their participation in the war.
The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1957 and since then, their relations flourished in diplomacy, business and other fields.
