|PIC1|The Salvation Army has been assisting in the clean up operation of South Korea's worst ever oil spill caused when a barge carrying a crane pierced the hull of a Hong Kong-registered tanker.

An estimated 10,500 tonnes of crude oil have since leaked over around 17 kms of coastline on the Taean Peninsula, around 100 km southwest of capital city Seoul.

The Salvation Army was the first NGO to assist with the clean-up operation, when its mobile canteen started serving meals and hot drinks on the shores of Mallipo Beach on the first day of the operation.

Military soldiers, policemen, firemen and local volunteers involved in the hefty efforts to restore the area, not far from a nature reserve and national, are just some of those who have benefited from thousands of meals served up by The Salvation Army canteen in the last week and a half.

The Salvation Army's Territorial Commander in Korea, Commissioner Chun Kwang-pyo, as well as other Salvation Army leaders have been in the area to see for themselves the scale of the spill, and meet clean-up workers.

They said a prayer for the victims of the spill, including local fish, oyster and abalone farmers in particular, and later on, the Divisional Commander got his hands dirty along with some more officers from the Suh Hae Division as they helped other workers clean the oil off the beaches.