SEOUL, South Korea – Maine troops stationed in South Korea caught a glimpse of home Tuesday with a visit from Gov. John Baldacci and other state officials.

While on a trade mission to South Korea and Japan with several Maine businesses, the governor, first lady Karen Baldacci and representatives from the state departments of Agriculture, Tourism and Economic and Community Development gathered at Yongsan Garrison with a group of 27 U.S. Army troops from the garrison and Camps Carroll, Casey and Humphreys, which are located elsewhere in South Korea.

“First let me just say I’m not running for anything. I’m here because I want to be,” Baldacci said. “I just wanted to get here and see each and every one of you.”

Baldacci introduced himself and shook hands with every soldier. They chatted about hometowns, the New England Patriots and the Red Sox World Series victory.

The soldiers all wanted to send big hellos back to their families and the governor asked for their parents’ addresses so he could send letters telling them their children are well.

Pfc. Amanda Mountain, 19, of Presque Isle, Staff Sgt. Justin Small, 23, of Palmyra, Staff Sgt. Tiffany Canada, 26, of Wiscasset and Sgt. Marie Stuart, 26, of Augusta said they miss Maine’s fresh air.

“The air here is polluted. It’s definitely not clean,” Canada said.

Spc. Rachel Moore, 21, grinned when she described her hometown of Liberty to her fellow soldiers.

“I miss just driving through it. And our house – it’s old, and it’s right on Lake St. George,” Moore said wistfully.

Pfc. Travis Hughes, 19, of Newport said he was still getting to know South Korea, as he has been stationed at Camp Humphreys for only seven months. Camp Humphreys is about an hour’s drive south of Seoul, Hughes said.

The mess hall offerings ranged from pizza, turkey and chicken to white rice and kimchi, a traditional South Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage.

Several young South Korean men in U.S. Army uniforms also were eating lunch in the mess hall. Called KATUSA, they are soldiers who speak fluent English and are living out their country’s military service requirement in U.S. Army units. KATUSA soldiers act as translators and navigation specialists in South Korea.

After the lunch, the governor visited a memorial at the Yongsan Garrison and presented a wreath in honor of all Maine fallen soldiers.

The governor will continue on to Japan just after noon Wednesday for the final two days of the trade mission. South Korea’s time zone is 13 hours ahead of Maine, so Baldacci and his party were to have departed Seoul just after 11 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

“My wife and I were saying we need this shot of Maine to recharge our batteries before we head off to Tokyo,” Baldacci said.