South Korea launched a team of police officers Thursday that will head to Afghanistan on a mission to help train local police and protect civilian reconstruction workers.

Among the 40-member team, 13 have already been deployed at Parwan earlier this month. The remaining team members are expected to depart for Afghanistan later this month.

This is the first time that the South Korean police have dispatched a unit of officers overseas.

The police contingent will be tasked with teaching the Korean martial art taekwondo to local police. It will also help them establish security infrastructure and maintain peace in the region.