The Asianist

Although US-S.Korean relationship is perhaps at an all-time low, the two nations are still allies. In a gesture of that relationship, S. Korea is providing aid for Katrina victims:

The Korean government decided Sunday to offer US$30 million in aid to the United States in order to help the country recover from the destruction visited upon the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. The government will also dispatch a 50-man search and rescue team to the affected area, and consideration is also being given to the dispatch of military personnel (which would require National Assembly approval) should a request be made by the United States.

South Korea’s offer of US$30 million is, as far as I know, the second largest offer behind Qatar’s offer of US$100 million, and dwarfs the offers made by other nations in the region (Japan, for instance, will send US$200,000 and has offered US$300 more). Considering how the Korean economy has seen better days, Seoul’s offer is beyond generous and I can only hope the U.S. media gives it more attention than from what I’ve seen so far.

Not bad for an ally. It should be noted that S. Korea also has the second largest allied military contingent (after the UK) in Iraq.