An early bout of cold weather for Bernard Edinger in Mongolia

Paris-based former correspondent Bernard Edinger huddles in sub-zero weather at a Mongolian army base two hours from Ulan Bator on the latest of his trips leading members of Association des journalistes de défense, the French defence correspondents association. They spent ten days in Mongolia and South Korea.

“On this visit, the Mongolian army took us round the base where they train their troops for international peacekeeping missions in countries with climates as different as Sudan and Afghanistan,” Edinger says. “Average winter temperatures in Mongolia itself hover between minus 20 and minus 30 centigrade while summer temperatures can reach plus 40 centigrade.”

They also visited South Korea including two days inside and close to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas. “Incidents are relatively rare but a North Korean soldier killed two of his superiors and defected to the South the day after our visit.” ■