SEOUL, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik has visited a South Korean military contingent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to encourage troops for their service there, Seoul's defense ministry said Saturday. Shin met with members of the Akh unit during his trip to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to the Ministry of National Defense. During his visit, Shin called for the troops to focus on their duties as maintaining close ties with "the brother nation of the UAE" aligns with South Korea's national interests. Launched in 2011, the Akh unit has been carrying out various missions in the country, including training UAE troops and protecting Korean nationals in the region in case of emergencies. Akh means "brother" in Arabic. Source: Yonhap News Agency