Republic of Korea Navy
Encyclopedia
The Republic of Korea Navy (Hangul
: 대한민국 해군; Hanja
: 大韓民國 海軍; Revised Romanization: Daehanminguk Haegun) or the ROK Navy (ROKN) is the branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps
, which is a quasi-autonomous organization. The oldest service in the ROK Armed Forces, the South Korean navy celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2005.
Since the Korean War
, the ROK Navy concentrated its efforts to build naval forces to counteract the North Korean navy, which has littoral naval capabilities. As South Korea
's economy grew, the ROK Navy was able to build larger and better equipped fleets to deter aggression, to protect national maritime rights and to support the nation's foreign policies. As a part of its mission, the ROK Navy has engaged in several peacekeeping operations
since the turn of the 21st century.
The ROK Navy has about 68,000 regular personnel including 27,000 Republic of Korea Marines (as of 2010). There are about 170 commissioned ships (with a total displacement of about 181,000 tons
) in the ROK Navy, including some 20 destroyers and frigates, 12 submarines, 100 corvettes and fast attack craft as of 2011. The naval aviation force consists of about 70 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The ROK Marine Corps has about 400 tracked vehicles including self-propelled artillery
.
The ROK Navy aims to become an ocean-going navy
by 2020.
Korea
has a long history of naval activity
. In the late 4th century during the Three Kingdoms Period
, Goguryeo
defeated Baekjae, fielding amphibious forces of 40,000 men in the process. In the 9th century, Commissioner Chang Bogo
of Unified Silla
established a maritime base called Cheonghaejin
on an island to foster trading with China
and Japan
, and to cope with pirates.
In 1380, naval forces of the Goryeo Dynasty defeated 500 invading Japanese pirate vessels by deploying shipboard guns, devised by Choi Moosun
. This is reportedly the first use of shipboard guns in naval history
. In 1389 and 1419, Korean naval forces invaded Tsushima Island
to suppress Japanese piracy. In the early years of the Joseon Dynasty
, the naval force reached its peak of 50,000 personnel, in order to combat the ongoing piracy issue.
During the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), the Korean naval force
commanded by Admiral Yi Sunshin, who later became the head of the Navy, cut off the invaders' naval lifeline and defeated the Japanese fleet, reversing the war in favor of Joseon. Admiral Yi is also credited with the creation of the Turtle Ship
.
By the end of 19th century, the Joseon Navy had no significant naval force other than coastal defense fortresses. Although there was an attempt to modernize the navy by establishing a royal naval school, the Joseon Navy was brought to an end in 1895. In 1903, the government of the Korean Empire
purchased its first modern war ship, the Yangmu. Korean naval tradition was disrupted after Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan
in 1910. During the Japanese occupation
period, the Imperial Japanese Navy
built a naval base - Chinkai Guard District
in southern Korea (at present-day Jinhae
).
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Shortly after Korea was liberated from the Empire of Japan on August 15, 1945, a former merchant mariner and son of the independence activist Sohn Jung-do, Sohn Won-yil
led the Maritime Affairs Association, which evolved into the Marine Defense Group on November 11, 1945 (later became Navy Foundation Day) and later became the Korean Coast Guard, which was formed in Jinhae. After the new Republic of Korea government was established on August 15, 1948, the Korean Coast Guard was formally renamed the Republic of Korea Navy, and Sohn became the first Chief of Naval Operations of the ROK Navy on September 5, 1948. On April 15, 1949, the Republic of Korea Marine Corps
(ROKMC) was founded in Jinhae. In October 1949, the ROK Navy purchased a 600-ton submarine chaser, the former , on the American civil market with funds raised among its personnel. She was renamed ROKS Baekdusan (PC 701) and became "the first significant warship of the newly independent nation".
The Korean War
started with the North Korean army
's surprise attack on Sunday, June 25, 1950. The ROK Navy confronted threats from the North Korean navy: "Perhaps the most aggressive and effective, if smallest, member of the South Korean armed services during the first year of the Korean War was the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN). At the outset of the conflict, the 6,956-man ROKN, with [33] naval vessels of various types, was outnumbered by the 13,700 men and 110 naval vessels of the North Korean navy." With its UN allies, dominated by U.S. forces, the ROK Navy was able to gain control in the seas surrounding the country. On July 27, 1953, the three year-long war was brought to an end when an armistice agreement was signed. During the war, Australia
, Canada
, Colombia
, France
, the Netherlands
, New Zealand
, Thailand
, the United Kingdom
, and the United States
contributed naval vessels as UN allies; Denmark
sent the hospital ship Jutlandia
.
Commander-in-Chief Republic of Korea Fleet, the highest operational command, was established in September 1953.
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Starting in the 1950s, the ROK Navy built up its surface fleet mainly with older warships transferred from the United States Navy
. In May 1963, the ROK Navy acquired its first destroyer ROKS Chungmu (DD 91 and later DD 911), the former , a Fletcher class destroyer. Starting from 1972, nine former USN Allen M. Sumner class and Gearing class destroyers were transferred and added to the ROK Fleet inventory.
During the Vietnam War
, the ROK Navy dispatched a naval transport squadron called Baekgu, which was composed of 3 LSTs and 2 LSMs. The Republic of Korea Marine Corps
sent into a combat brigade
called Cheongnyong to Vietnam
.
On January 19, 1967, ROKS Dangpo (PCEC 56), the former USS Marfa (PCE-842), was sunk by North Korean coastal artillery north of the demarcation line off the east coast of Korea In June 1970, a navy broadcast vessel (ROKS I-2) was captured by North Korean patrol craft in the vicinity of Yeonpyeong Islands in the West Sea (Yellow Sea
).
In the 70s, the ROK Navy, through the Park Chung-hee
Administration's "Yulgok Plan" (an eight-year national defense plan "to build up self-reliant, national defense capability"), began to build naval forces with indigenous technology; this initiated the ROK Navy effort to build a fleet of locally built ships. The first 2,000-ton frigate ROKS Ulsan (FF 951) was launched in 1980 and the first 1,000-ton corvette ROKS Pohang (PCC 756) was launched in 1982, both featuring indigenous technology. The ROK Navy continued to carry out other new shipbuilding projects such as mine sweepers, logistic support ships and amphibious landing ships in the 80s and 90s.
In 1973, the Republic of Korea Marine Corps
, once a separate branch of the armed forces, became a part of the Navy.
Since the 90s, the ROK Navy has been steadily upgrading its naval forces. In 1995, Admiral An Pyongtae, the Chief of Naval Operations, presented his plan for the future of the ROK Navy, which included building a blue-water navy
.
As a part of a plan to strengthen the surface combatant forces, the ROK Navy launched the lead ship of the Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyer in 1996 to replace the former U.S. Navy destroyers. For building up a submarine
force, the ROK Navy purchased its first submarine (other than midget submarines), the Chang Bogo (SS 061)
, from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany in 1992. In order to replace its antiquated S-2 Tracker
anti-submarine warfare
airplanes, South Korea purchased a squadron of P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. These were delivered to the ROK Navy starting in 1995.
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The ROK Navy continues to put its efforts to build a blue-water navy. In 2001, then-President Kim Dae-jung announced a plan for building up the Strategic Mobile Fleet.
In 2002, the lead ship (ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin (DDH-975)
) of the 5,500-ton Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyer was launched. In 2005, the 18,800-ton amphibious landing ship, ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111) was launched. In 2006, the ROK Navy launched the lead ship (SS 072) of the 1,800-ton Sohn Wonyil class
submarine, which was named after the first Chief of Naval Operations, equipped with an Air-Independent Propulsion
(AIP) system. In May 2007, the ROK Navy launched the lead ship (DDG 991) of the 11,000-ton Sejong the Great class destroyer, built around the American-made AEGIS combat system
and the SPY-1D(v) multi-function phased array radar.
As a part of its mission, the ROK Navy participated in several peacekeeping operations
since the turn of the 21st century.
On March 26, 2010, ROKS Cheonan
, a Pohang class corvette
was sunk by a North Korean torpedo, resulting in death of 46 sailors near Baengnyeong Island
, in the vicinity of the Northern Limit Line
(NLL).
, Naval Education and Training Command, Naval Logistics Command, and Naval Academy. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the ROK Navy.
, includes the office of the Chief of Naval Operations and various agencies and staff functions. The CNO is a four-star admiral and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The CNO oversees the administration of recruiting, organizing, training, equipping, supplying, and mobilizing the ROK Navy.
Commander-in-Chief
Republic of Korea Fleet (CINCROKFLT) is responsible for naval operations, and based at Busan Naval Operations Base with a command headquarters. CINCROKFLT also serves as Commander Naval Component Command (CNCC) of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) in peacetime, or as the Deputy Commander Combined Naval Component Command (DCCNCC) in war
time. The Republic of Korea Fleet has three numbered fleets each assigned to the seas east, west, and south of South Korea:
For various types of naval operations, the ROK Navy has two surface flotilla
s, a naval aviation force
, a submarine flotilla, special warfare (UDT/SEAL) forces, and a training squadron
under the command of the CINCROKFLT:
As a part of "Defense Reform 2020," which was proposed by the Roh Moo-hyun
Administration, the ROK Navy has been directed to reform its submarine operations command into a fleet submarine force.
The three numbered fleets, each lead by a Rear Admiral (Upper Half), are responsible for protecting the green-water around South Korea: The First Fleet is for the eastern naval sector, the Second Fleet is for the western naval sector and the Third Fleet is for the southern naval sector including Jeju Island. Each fleet mainly includes squadrons of patrol forces composed of Kwanggaeto the Great class
destroyers, Ulsan class
frigates, Pohang class
corvettes and Chamsuri class
patrol boats.
When taking command of the Navy in 1995, Admiral An Pyongtae, then Chief of Naval Operations, proposed to build a blue-water navy
for the Republic of Korea. In the year 2001, President Kim Dae-jung announced a plan for creating a task force called "strategic maneuver fleet" (전략기동함대; Jeollyak Gidong Hamdae), which will "protect national interests in the five oceans and contribute to world peace" . As part of the plan, the ROK Navy established one task group, Commander Maritime Task Flotilla Seven on February 1, 2010, which evolved from Commander ASW Squadron 51 of the Component Flotilla. The Maritime Task Flotilla is composed of two Sejong the Great class AEGIS
guided missile destroyer
s, and six Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyers. A Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyer of the Task Flotilla is being deployed in response to piracy
attacks in shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia
.
.
, Busan
, Donghae
, Pyeongtaek
, Mokpo
, Incheon
, Pohang
. Naval air stations are in Pohang, Jinhae, and Mokpo. Jinhae has been the major port for the ROK Navy since the establishment of the Korean Coast Guard by hosting vital naval facilities including the Naval Shipyard. Busan has become another major naval base for the CINCROKFLT since its Command Headquarters moved from Jinhae in 2007. Donghae, Pyeongtaek, and Mokpo hosts the command headquarters of the First, Second and the Third Fleet respectively. Incheon hosts a Defense Command under an one-star admiral responsible for littoral waters close to Seoul
, the nation's capital. Pohang has a naval base for amphibious forces such as the 1st Marine Division located nearby. The ROK Navy also plans to build a new naval base on the southern coast of Jeju-do
for basing a squadron of the Maritime Task Flotilla and two submarine squadrons by 2014. The ROK Navy plans to strengthen its control over the seas around the Korean Peninsula
by deploying these forces.
South Korea has a joint military partnership with the United States as outlined by the Mutual Defense Treaty signed on 1951. Commander U.S. Seventh Fleet
(C7F) is designated as Commander Combined Naval Component Command (CCNCC) "for the defense of the Korean peninsula; in the event of hostilities, all friendly naval forces in the theater would fall under C7F control." The ROK and US Governments have agreed on the transfer of wartime operational control to the South Korean government in 2015.
Commander Naval Forces Korea
(CNFK) is a shore command of the United States Navy that serves as the shore support agency for all U.S. Naval activity in South Korea. Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae
(CFAC) is a U.S. Naval installation in Jinhae
.
Administration, the ROK Navy has been directed to reduce its manpower to 64,000 sailors, airmen, and Marines.
Military service is mandatory for all South Korean men. In the ROK Navy, all members are volunteers, with enlisted sailors and airmen serving for 26-month periods, and enlisted Marines serving for 24-month periods; commissioned officer, warrant officer, and non-commissioned officer serving longer terms than those of enlisted men, or as career sailor, airmen, and Marines. In the year 2001, six female ensign
s, who had become commissioned officers through the officer candidate school, were assigned to serve on surface ships of the ROK Navy, for the first time ever.
There are several paths to becoming a commissioned officer in the ROK Navy, including the Naval Academy, Officer Candidate School (OCS), and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). Officer Candidate School, located at the Naval Academy, Jinhae, provides training for candidates with current or prior enlisted experience in the military and civilian college graduates, which take majority in OCS.
the warrant officer
rank in the South Korean armed forces falls in between that of non-commissioned and commissioned officers. In the ROK Navy, warrant officers are mostly former non-commissioned officers who had earned the rating of Wonsa (Master Chief Petty Officer) and who had been selected for and completed a warrant officer candidate program. Another route to becoming a naval warrant officer is to complete a naval aviation warrant officer candidate program. Warrant officers generally mess in the wardroom
with commissioned officers.
Petty officers originate from a petty officer candidate program. In the ROK Navy, personnel with ranks of Hasa through Wonsa are considered petty officers (i.e. non-commissioned officers) while those at Sangsa and Wonsa are further referred to as “CPO” (chief petty officer
) collectively. There are the appointments of Juim Wonsa and Juim Sangsa equivalent to that of the U.S. Navy's Command Master Chief Petty Officer
(CMCPO). The positions are filled by senior Wonsa and Sangsa respectively and unlike their U.S. Navy counterparts, the ROK Navy Juim Wonsa and Juim Sangsa wear the same standard rate insignia of Wonsa or Sangsa and only wear a special identification badge. Every ROK Navy establishment and ship has either Juim Wonsa or Juim Sangsa. Petty officers wear a combination cap with a white cover and a gold chinstrap
.
In the ROK Navy, enlisted sailors are referred to as "Subyeong" (수병; 水兵). Normally the enlisted sailors serve in the Navy for 26 months; after this, most of them are transferred from active duty to the naval reserve.
, the Navy, and the Air Force
) of the ROK Armed Forces share the same names of ranks as written in Hangul
.
¹: No one held the rank of Wonsu in the history of the ROK Armed Forces yet.
²: Senior Captains in command of Squadrons can be referred to as “Commodore
” verbally and in correspondence as in the U.S. Navy.
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The ROK Navy frequently participates in multinational exercises and international activities. Also it has engaged in several peacekeeping operations since the turn of the 21st century.
attacks in shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia
. This task group is composed of a Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyer and about 30 naval special warfare personnel. The group operates as part of the multinational task force, Combined Task Force 151
of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The ROK Navy has dispatched five warships to the mission area under the name of Cheonghae task group. As of September 2010, ROKS Wang Geon (DDH 978) is carrying out the mission in the area. On January 21, 2011 South Korean naval commandos carried out Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden
, an operation to rescue the crew of the hijacked MV Samho Jewelry
and succeed in rescuing the crew and killing or capturing all of the pirates on board.
In October 1998, the ROK Navy hosted its first international fleet review in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Korea and its armed forces off coast of Busan and Jinhae. 21 ships from 11 countries (Australia, Bangladesh
, France, India
, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines
, Singapore
, United Kingdom, United States) participated in the fleet review as well as 34 ships and 15 aircraft from South Korea. The ROK Navy hosted its second international fleet review off coast of Busan in October 2008 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the South Korean government. 22 ships from 11 countries (Australia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States) participated in the fleet review as well as 33 ships and 27 aircraft from South Korea.
The Cruise Training Unit - ROKS Kwaggaeto the Great (DDH 971), ROKS Jeju (FF 958) and ROKS Cheonji (AOE 57) participated in International Fleet Review 2002 commemorating the 50th anniversary of JMSDF in Tokyo Bay
. The Cruise Training Fleet - ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin (DDH 975) and ROKS Cheonji (AOE 57) - visited the United Kingdom in order to take part in the International Fleet Review for Trafalgar 200
in 2005. In April 2009, ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111) and ROKS Kang Gamchan (DDH 979) attended an international fleet review to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy
in Qingdao
. In August 2009, the Cruise Training Flotilla - ROKS Choi Young (DDH 981) and ROKS Daecheong (AOE 58) participated in the Indonesian International Fleet Review, which commemorates the 64th anniversary of Indonesian independence.
s to uniquely identify its vessels (e.g. DDH 975). The names are that of the historical figures, provinces, cities, counties, peaks, lakes, islands, and birds. The Chief of Naval Operations selects the names of ships.
There are four ship ratings. A first-rate ship (DDG, DDH, Sohn Won-yil class SS, LPH, MLS, AOE, and ARS) is commanded by a captain; a second-rate ship (FF, SS, PCC, LST, and ATS) by a commander; a third-rate ship (SSM, PKG, MSH, and MHC) by a lieutenant commander; and a fourth-rate (PKM and LSF) is commanded by a lieutenant.
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The ship prefix
for all the commissioned ROK Navy ship is ROKS (Republic of Korea Ship) when the names of ships are written in English.
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, and its naval air stations are in Pohang (K-3), Jinhae
(K-10), and Mokpo
(K-15). Air Wing Six has about 20 fixed-wing and 50 rotary-wing aircraft as of 2011.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Versions
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Fixed-wing
|-
| Lockheed Martin
P-3C Orion
|| || ASW/surveillance aircraft || P-3C
P-3CK || 8
8 || -
P-3B modernized by KAI
|-
| Reims
-Cessna
F406 Caravan II ||
|| light utility aircraft || F406 || 5 || -
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Rotary-wing
|-
| Westland
Lynx
|| || ASW helicopter || Lynx Mk.99
Super Lynx Mk.99A || 11
12 || -
|-
| Sikorsky Aircraft
UH-60 || || utility transport helicopter || UH-60P || 7 || built by KAL-ASD
|-
| Bell Helicopter UH-1 || || utility transport helicopter || UH-1H || 13 || -
|-
| Aérospatiale
Alouette III || || light utility helicopter || SA-319B || 5 || trainer
The KSS program was a three-phased project to build up the ROK Navy's submarine
forces. Before the KSS program, the submarine fleet of the ROK Navy consisted of midget submarines, such as the Dolgorae class submarine and SX 756 Dolphin class submarine, which had limited capabilities for inshore operations.
Through the first phase, KSS-I, the ROK Navy acquired nine 1,200-ton Chang Bo-go class submarines
. For the second phase, KSS-II, the ROK Navy plans to acquire nine 1,800-ton Type 214 submarine
s with Air-Independent propulsion (AIP) system; the lead ship of her class, the Sohn Won-yil (SS 072) was launched at a shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries on June 9, 2006. In June 2007, the ROK Navy launched its second 1,800-ton submarine named Jeong Ji, after a military general of the Goryeo
Kingdom who defeated Japanese invaders. The Type 214 submarine is expected to play a key role in safeguarding the country's maritime interests as a part of the Navy's Mobile Flotilla. The third phase of the program, KSS-III is scheduled to begin in 2007 and to build the lead ship of her class in 2017. A total of nine 3,000-ton KSS-III submarines are expected to be built in South Korea with indigenous technologies (i.e. not going under license as the previous KSS-I and KSS-II submarines).
Korean experimental destroyer program
is a three-phased program to modernize the surface fleet by developing and constructing new destroyer
s for the ROK Navy with advanced combat systems and weaponry. The outcomes of this program include the Kwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers, which are the first ROK destroyers to be armed with surface-to-air missile
s; the Chungmugong Yi Sunshin-class ASW destroyers; and the powerful King Sejong the Great-class destroyers, which are equipped with the sophisticated AEGIS combat system
for air-defense and anti-missile operations. These new destroyers replaced antiquated destroyers that had been transferred from the U.S. Navy decades ago.
In October 2009, the ROK Navy announced plans to build and commission six destroyers of 5,600-ton empty displacement with the AEGIS system (the KDX-II A destroyers) from 2019 to 2026 for beefing up the Maritime Task Flotilla.
The FFX project aims to replace the Ulsan class frigates and Donghae/Pohang class corvettes with new 2,300-ton frigates. The total number of the ships to built is 20 to 24 by 2020 and the first batch of six new frigates are planned to be commissioned by 2015, and another fourteen commissioned by 2018. Hyundai Heavy Industries
will build the lead ship that is planned to enter service in 2011. These frigates will be armed with the American-made Phalanx CIWS system
and the rolling airframe missile system, and they will each carry a Westland Lynx
anti-submarine warfare
helicopter.
Through the PKX program, the ROK Navy plans to build a feet of a next generation patrol craft with Cooperative Engagement Capability and enhanced weaponry such as 76 mm guns and the KSSM anti-ship missiles. There are two variations of Geomdoksuri class patrol craft: Geomdoksuri-A and Geomdoksuri-B. The Geomdoksuri-A will be a 570-ton patrol craft with anti-ship missiles; Geomdoksuri-B will be a 300-ton patrol craft serving as the platform design for the Geomdoksuri-A variation. It is speculated that 34 Geomdoksuri-As and 18 Geomdoksuri-Bs are planned. The first batch of nine Geomdoksuri-As are expected to enter in service by 2015 and to replace the aging Chamsuri class
patrol craft.
On 28 June 2007, the Yoon Young-ha (PKG 711), the lead ship of her class, was launched at the shipyard of Hanjin
Heavy Industries in Busan
. She is scheduled to be delivered to the South Korean navy in 2008.
The LPX project was the ROK Navy's new amphibious landing ship
project for which Hanjin Heavy Industries & Constructions Co. has provided the general design package. The ROK Navy's requirements for the new amphibious landing ships were to enhance Korea's current amphibious operation capability, both in terms of assault and military operations other than war
(MOOTW) type operations.
On 12 July 2005, ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111), the lead ship of her class, was launched at the shipyard of Hanjin
Heavy Industries in Busan
. She was delivered to the South Korean navy in July, 2007. The first air cushion landing craft (ROKS LSF 631) of LSF-II project was delivered for ROKS Dokdo in April, 2007.
In October 2009, the ROKN revealed that it plans to commission a new 14,500-ton (full displacement 18,800 tons) LPX around 2018.
The ROK Navy plans to commission four new amphibious ships of 4,500-ton empty displacement between 2014 and 2017.
The ROKN plans to commission an uncertain number of 12,000-ton fast combat support ships (AOE) around 2017 to relieve the 9,000-ton Cheonji class ships.
Through ATS-II project, the ROKN will replace the two ex-USN Beaufort class ships with two locally built 3500-ton salvage and rescue ships.
The ROK Navy plans to commission a new 4,500-ton training ship (ATX) for midshipmen and officer candidates around 2015.
The ROKN plans to build and commission an uncertain number of minelayer ships similar to ROKS Wonsan (MLS 560).
The ROKN plans to build and commission an uncertain number of mine countermeasure ships similar to the Yangyang class.
The ROK Navy had acquired eight P-3C
aircraft through the maritime patrol aircraft program phase I. Eight more ex-USN P-3CK
maritime patrol aircraft had been delivered to the ROK Navy by 2010 after undergoing extensive refubishment and modernization.
The ROK Navy had planned to acquire new mine countermeasure helicopters by 2012 with a budget of 480 billion won. AgustaWestland EH-101, NHIndustries NH-90, and Sikorsky MH-60S were being considered as possible candidates for the acquisition program before it decided to hold the project due to global financial crisis that hit the world in 2008.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 대한민국 해군; Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 大韓民國 海軍; Revised Romanization: Daehanminguk Haegun) or the ROK Navy (ROKN) is the branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps
Republic of Korea Marine Corps
The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
, which is a quasi-autonomous organization. The oldest service in the ROK Armed Forces, the South Korean navy celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2005.
Since the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the ROK Navy concentrated its efforts to build naval forces to counteract the North Korean navy, which has littoral naval capabilities. As South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's economy grew, the ROK Navy was able to build larger and better equipped fleets to deter aggression, to protect national maritime rights and to support the nation's foreign policies. As a part of its mission, the ROK Navy has engaged in several peacekeeping operations
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
since the turn of the 21st century.
The ROK Navy has about 68,000 regular personnel including 27,000 Republic of Korea Marines (as of 2010). There are about 170 commissioned ships (with a total displacement of about 181,000 tons
) in the ROK Navy, including some 20 destroyers and frigates, 12 submarines, 100 corvettes and fast attack craft as of 2011. The naval aviation force consists of about 70 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The ROK Marine Corps has about 400 tracked vehicles including self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
.
The ROK Navy aims to become an ocean-going navy
Blue-water navy
The term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
by 2020.
Duties and objectives
The objectives of the ROK Navy as maritime forces for the National Security are:- Establishing autonomous naval forces to deter war
- Securing maritime superiotiy to win war
- Promoting national interests through protection of maritime activities
- Enhancing the national prestige through naval presence
Origins
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
has a long history of naval activity
Naval history of Korea
The naval history of Korea dates back thousands of years since the prehistoric times when simple fishing ships were used. Military naval history dates back to the Three Kingdoms period and Unified Silla dynasties of Korea in the 7th century...
. In the late 4th century during the Three Kingdoms Period
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
, Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
defeated Baekjae, fielding amphibious forces of 40,000 men in the process. In the 9th century, Commissioner Chang Bogo
Jang Bogo
Jang Bogo , also known as Gungbok, rose to prominence in Korea in the late Unified Silla period as a powerful maritime figure who for several decades effectively controlled the West Sea and Korean coast between southwestern Korea and China's Shandong peninsula...
of Unified Silla
Unified Silla
Unified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
established a maritime base called Cheonghaejin
Cheonghaejin
Cheonghaejin was a major military headquarters and trading hub located on nowadays Wando island, South Jeolla province of South Korea established by Korean general, Jang Bogo in 828 ACE during the Silla kingdom period...
on an island to foster trading with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and to cope with pirates.
In 1380, naval forces of the Goryeo Dynasty defeated 500 invading Japanese pirate vessels by deploying shipboard guns, devised by Choi Moosun
Choe Mu-seon
Choe Mu-Seon was a medieval Korean scientist, inventor, and military commander during the late Goryeo Dynasty and early Joseon Dynasty...
. This is reportedly the first use of shipboard guns in naval history
Naval history
Naval history is the area of military history concerning war at sea and the subject is also a sub-discipline of the broad field of maritime history....
. In 1389 and 1419, Korean naval forces invaded Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island is an island of the Japanese Archipelago situated in the middle of the Tsushima Strait at 34°25'N and 129°20'E. The main island of Tsushima was once a single island, but the island was divided into two in 1671 by the Ōfunakosiseto canal and into three in 1900 by the Manzekiseto canal...
to suppress Japanese piracy. In the early years of the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, the naval force reached its peak of 50,000 personnel, in order to combat the ongoing piracy issue.
During the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), the Korean naval force
Joseon Navy
The Joseon Navy is the navy of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea.-History:During the Joseon Dynasty, however, the navy and maritime operations fell into disuse, while fishing ships continued to operate and prosper. Because of the relative peace during the Joseon dynasty, the entire military itself...
commanded by Admiral Yi Sunshin, who later became the head of the Navy, cut off the invaders' naval lifeline and defeated the Japanese fleet, reversing the war in favor of Joseon. Admiral Yi is also credited with the creation of the Turtle Ship
Turtle ship
The Turtle ship, also known as Geobukseon or Kobukson , was a type of large warship belonging to the Panokseon class in Korea that was used intermittently by the Royal Korean Navy during the Joseon Dynasty from the early 15th century up until the 19th century.The first references to older, first...
.
By the end of 19th century, the Joseon Navy had no significant naval force other than coastal defense fortresses. Although there was an attempt to modernize the navy by establishing a royal naval school, the Joseon Navy was brought to an end in 1895. In 1903, the government of the Korean Empire
Korean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...
purchased its first modern war ship, the Yangmu. Korean naval tradition was disrupted after Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
in 1910. During the Japanese occupation
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
period, the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
built a naval base - Chinkai Guard District
Chinkai Guard District
The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in Korea under Japanese rule before and during World War II. Located in southern Korea , the Chinkai Guard District was responsible for control of the strategic Straits of Shimonoseki and for patrols along the Korean coastline and in the...
in southern Korea (at present-day Jinhae
Jinhae
Jinhae is a district in Changwon City, South Korea. This region is served by the Korean National Railroad, and is famous for its annual cherry blossom festival every spring....
).
Founding years and Korean War
Sohn Won-yil
Vice Admiral Son Won-il, ROKN was the first Chief of Naval Operations of the Republic of Korea Navy. As one of the founding members of the Republic of Korea Navy, he is generally regarded as the founder of the South Korean navy...
led the Maritime Affairs Association, which evolved into the Marine Defense Group on November 11, 1945 (later became Navy Foundation Day) and later became the Korean Coast Guard, which was formed in Jinhae. After the new Republic of Korea government was established on August 15, 1948, the Korean Coast Guard was formally renamed the Republic of Korea Navy, and Sohn became the first Chief of Naval Operations of the ROK Navy on September 5, 1948. On April 15, 1949, the Republic of Korea Marine Corps
Republic of Korea Marine Corps
The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
(ROKMC) was founded in Jinhae. In October 1949, the ROK Navy purchased a 600-ton submarine chaser, the former , on the American civil market with funds raised among its personnel. She was renamed ROKS Baekdusan (PC 701) and became "the first significant warship of the newly independent nation".
The Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
started with the North Korean army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
's surprise attack on Sunday, June 25, 1950. The ROK Navy confronted threats from the North Korean navy: "Perhaps the most aggressive and effective, if smallest, member of the South Korean armed services during the first year of the Korean War was the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN). At the outset of the conflict, the 6,956-man ROKN, with [33] naval vessels of various types, was outnumbered by the 13,700 men and 110 naval vessels of the North Korean navy." With its UN allies, dominated by U.S. forces, the ROK Navy was able to gain control in the seas surrounding the country. On July 27, 1953, the three year-long war was brought to an end when an armistice agreement was signed. During the war, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
contributed naval vessels as UN allies; Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
sent the hospital ship Jutlandia
Jutlandia
MS Jutlandia was contracted by and built for the East Asiatic Company in 1934, as a combined passenger and cargo ship at EAC's Nakskov Shipyard, Denmark...
.
Commander-in-Chief Republic of Korea Fleet, the highest operational command, was established in September 1953.
Building the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. In May 1963, the ROK Navy acquired its first destroyer ROKS Chungmu (DD 91 and later DD 911), the former , a Fletcher class destroyer. Starting from 1972, nine former USN Allen M. Sumner class and Gearing class destroyers were transferred and added to the ROK Fleet inventory.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the ROK Navy dispatched a naval transport squadron called Baekgu, which was composed of 3 LSTs and 2 LSMs. The Republic of Korea Marine Corps
Republic of Korea Marine Corps
The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
sent into a combat brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
called Cheongnyong to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
On January 19, 1967, ROKS Dangpo (PCEC 56), the former USS Marfa (PCE-842), was sunk by North Korean coastal artillery north of the demarcation line off the east coast of Korea In June 1970, a navy broadcast vessel (ROKS I-2) was captured by North Korean patrol craft in the vicinity of Yeonpyeong Islands in the West Sea (Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
).
In the 70s, the ROK Navy, through the Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
Administration's "Yulgok Plan" (an eight-year national defense plan "to build up self-reliant, national defense capability"), began to build naval forces with indigenous technology; this initiated the ROK Navy effort to build a fleet of locally built ships. The first 2,000-ton frigate ROKS Ulsan (FF 951) was launched in 1980 and the first 1,000-ton corvette ROKS Pohang (PCC 756) was launched in 1982, both featuring indigenous technology. The ROK Navy continued to carry out other new shipbuilding projects such as mine sweepers, logistic support ships and amphibious landing ships in the 80s and 90s.
In 1973, the Republic of Korea Marine Corps
Republic of Korea Marine Corps
The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
, once a separate branch of the armed forces, became a part of the Navy.
Modernizing the Navy
Blue-water navy
The term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
.
As a part of a plan to strengthen the surface combatant forces, the ROK Navy launched the lead ship of the Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyer in 1996 to replace the former U.S. Navy destroyers. For building up a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
force, the ROK Navy purchased its first submarine (other than midget submarines), the Chang Bogo (SS 061)
Type 209 submarine
The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...
, from Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany in 1992. In order to replace its antiquated S-2 Tracker
S-2 Tracker
The Grumman S-2 Tracker was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare aircraft to enter service with the US Navy. The Tracker was of conventional design with twin engines, a high wing and tricycle undercarriage. The type was exported to a number of navies around the world...
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
airplanes, South Korea purchased a squadron of P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. These were delivered to the ROK Navy starting in 1995.
Establishment of a regional navy
In 2002, the lead ship (ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin (DDH-975)
ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin (DDH-975)
ROKS Choi Young is a Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyer in the South Korean navy. She is named after the Korean commander Yi Sun-sin.-Design:...
) of the 5,500-ton Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyer was launched. In 2005, the 18,800-ton amphibious landing ship, ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111) was launched. In 2006, the ROK Navy launched the lead ship (SS 072) of the 1,800-ton Sohn Wonyil class
Type 214 submarine
The Type 214 is a diesel-electric submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH . It features diesel propulsion with an air-independent propulsion system using Siemens polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells...
submarine, which was named after the first Chief of Naval Operations, equipped with an Air-Independent Propulsion
Air-independent propulsion
Air-independent propulsion is a term that encompasses technologies which allow a submarine to operate without the need to surface or use a snorkel to access atmospheric oxygen. The term usually excludes the use of nuclear power, and describes augmenting or replacing the diesel-electric propulsion...
(AIP) system. In May 2007, the ROK Navy launched the lead ship (DDG 991) of the 11,000-ton Sejong the Great class destroyer, built around the American-made AEGIS combat system
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
and the SPY-1D(v) multi-function phased array radar.
As a part of its mission, the ROK Navy participated in several peacekeeping operations
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
since the turn of the 21st century.
On March 26, 2010, ROKS Cheonan
ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772)
ROKS Cheonan was a South Korean Pohang-class corvette of the Republic of Korea Navy , commissioned in 1989. On 26 March 2010, it broke in two and sank near the sea border with North Korea...
, a Pohang class corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
was sunk by a North Korean torpedo, resulting in death of 46 sailors near Baengnyeong Island
Baengnyeong Island
Baengnyeong Island is a island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line. The 1953 s:Korean Armistice Agreement which ended the Korean War specified that the five islands including Baengnyeong Island would remain under United Nations Command and South Korea...
, in the vicinity of the Northern Limit Line
Northern Limit Line
The Northern Limit Line or North Limit Line is a disputed inter-Korea maritime demarcation line in the Yellow Sea between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the north, and the Republic of Korea on the south...
(NLL).
Command and organization
The Republic of Korea Navy includes the Republic of Korea Navy Headquarters, Republic of Korea Fleet, Republic of Korea Marine CorpsRepublic of Korea Marine Corps
The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
, Naval Education and Training Command, Naval Logistics Command, and Naval Academy. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the ROK Navy.
Senior leadership
As of November 2011, the following people were in office:- Chief of Naval Operations: Admiral Choi Yoon-hee (based in Republic of Korea Navy Headquarters, GyeryongGyeryongGyeryong is a city in southeastern South Chungcheong province, South Korea. The current mayor is Hong-Mook Choi. The city was created in 2003, by a split from Nonsan city, following prolonged local agitation....
) - Commander-in-Chief Republic of Korea Fleet: Vice Admiral Koo Ok-hyoe (based in Republic of Korea Fleet command headquarters, BusanBusanBusan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
) - Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps: Lieutenant General Lee Ho-yeon (based in Headquarters Republic of Korea Marine Corps, Hwaseong)
- Commander Naval Education and Training Command: Vice Admiral Jung Ho-sub (based in Jinhae)
- Commander Naval Logistics Command: Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Im Jong-cheol (based in Jinhae)
- Superintendent Republic of Korea Naval Academy: Vice Admiral Sohn Jeong-mok (based in Jinhae)
Republic of Korea Navy Headquarters
The ROK Navy is led by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). The Republic of Korea Navy Headquarters located within the Gyeryongdae complex, the tri-service headquarters in GyeryongGyeryong
Gyeryong is a city in southeastern South Chungcheong province, South Korea. The current mayor is Hong-Mook Choi. The city was created in 2003, by a split from Nonsan city, following prolonged local agitation....
, includes the office of the Chief of Naval Operations and various agencies and staff functions. The CNO is a four-star admiral and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The CNO oversees the administration of recruiting, organizing, training, equipping, supplying, and mobilizing the ROK Navy.
Republic of Korea Fleet
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
Republic of Korea Fleet (CINCROKFLT) is responsible for naval operations, and based at Busan Naval Operations Base with a command headquarters. CINCROKFLT also serves as Commander Naval Component Command (CNCC) of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) in peacetime, or as the Deputy Commander Combined Naval Component Command (DCCNCC) in war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
time. The Republic of Korea Fleet has three numbered fleets each assigned to the seas east, west, and south of South Korea:
-
-
- Commander First Fleet (base: DonghaeDonghae CityDonghae is a city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. There are two major ports: Donghae Harbor and Mukho Harbor. The city is located on the Yeongdong Line railroad and the Donghae Expressway. Numerous caverns are found in the city, as in neighboring Samcheok...
) - Commander Second Fleet (base: PyeongtaekPyeongtaekPyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940 AD, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986, and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large...
)
-
- Incheon Naval Sector Defense Command
- Commander Third Fleet (base: MokpoMokpoMokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea...
)
-
- Jeju Defense Command
- Commander First Fleet (base: Donghae
-
For various types of naval operations, the ROK Navy has two surface flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
s, a naval aviation force
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
, a submarine flotilla, special warfare (UDT/SEAL) forces, and a training squadron
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
under the command of the CINCROKFLT:
-
-
- Component Flotilla Five
-
- Mine Warfare Squadron 52
- Amphibious Squadron 53
- Rescue and service squadron 55
-
- Ship Salvage Unit (SSU)
- Air Wing Six
- Maritime Task Flotilla Seven
-
- Maritime Task Squadron 71
- Maritime Task Squadron 72
- Submarine Flotilla Nine
- Naval Special Warfare Brigade
- Maritime Tactical Intelligence Group
- Training squadron
- Busan naval base squadron
-
As a part of "Defense Reform 2020," which was proposed by the Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun GOM GCB was the 16th President of South Korea .Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea. His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics, culminating in his...
Administration, the ROK Navy has been directed to reform its submarine operations command into a fleet submarine force.
Numbered fleets
The three numbered fleets, each lead by a Rear Admiral (Upper Half), are responsible for protecting the green-water around South Korea: The First Fleet is for the eastern naval sector, the Second Fleet is for the western naval sector and the Third Fleet is for the southern naval sector including Jeju Island. Each fleet mainly includes squadrons of patrol forces composed of Kwanggaeto the Great class
Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyer
The Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyers , often called KD-I class, are destroyers, but are classified by some as frigates, operated by the Republic of Korea Navy...
destroyers, Ulsan class
Ulsan class frigate
The Ulsan class frigate is a class of multi-purpose Guided Missile Frigates built by South Korea. Presently in use with Republic of Korea Navy and Bangladesh Navy.- Design :...
frigates, Pohang class
Pohang class corvette
The Pohang class corvette is a class of general purpose vessels operated by the Republic of Korea Navy. They have served in a coastal defense role during the late Cold War and post Cold War period....
corvettes and Chamsuri class
Chamsuri class patrol vessel
Chamsuri class patrol vessels are naval boats that function as patrol craft. These entered service with the South Korean navy in the 70s, and have since seen service with three other navies, of which the Philippine Navy is currently the largest non-South Korean user.These boats were built by the...
patrol boats.
Task force (Gidong Budae)
When taking command of the Navy in 1995, Admiral An Pyongtae, then Chief of Naval Operations, proposed to build a blue-water navy
Blue-water navy
The term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
for the Republic of Korea. In the year 2001, President Kim Dae-jung announced a plan for creating a task force called "strategic maneuver fleet" (전략기동함대; Jeollyak Gidong Hamdae), which will "protect national interests in the five oceans and contribute to world peace" . As part of the plan, the ROK Navy established one task group, Commander Maritime Task Flotilla Seven on February 1, 2010, which evolved from Commander ASW Squadron 51 of the Component Flotilla. The Maritime Task Flotilla is composed of two Sejong the Great class AEGIS
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
guided missile destroyer
Guided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
s, and six Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyers. A Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyer of the Task Flotilla is being deployed in response to piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
attacks in shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
Naval Education and Training Command
The Naval Education and Training Command is one of the two major shore commands of the ROK Navy responsible for training. It is located in Jinhae. Its primary role is to conduct the initial orientation and basic training for new recruits of the Navy and the Korea Coast Guard. One of the major subordinate units is the Naval War College located in DaejeonDaejeon
Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the...
.
Naval Logistics Command
The Naval Logistics Command is the other major shore command of the ROK Navy. It also operates the Naval Ship Yard located in Jinhae.Republic of Korea Naval Academy
The Republic of Korea Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational service academy located in Jinhae. It was established in 1946. Graduates are commissioned as Ensigns in the Navy or Second Lieutenants in the Marine Corps. The Naval Academy also hosts the Officer Candidate School, which provides training to become commissioned officers for civilian college graduates and candidates with military experience.Location
The ROK Navy operates several naval bases in South Korea: JinhaeJinhae
Jinhae is a district in Changwon City, South Korea. This region is served by the Korean National Railroad, and is famous for its annual cherry blossom festival every spring....
, Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, Donghae
Donghae City
Donghae is a city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. There are two major ports: Donghae Harbor and Mukho Harbor. The city is located on the Yeongdong Line railroad and the Donghae Expressway. Numerous caverns are found in the city, as in neighboring Samcheok...
, Pyeongtaek
Pyeongtaek
Pyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940 AD, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986, and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large...
, Mokpo
Mokpo
Mokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea...
, Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, Pohang
Pohang
Pohang is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River...
. Naval air stations are in Pohang, Jinhae, and Mokpo. Jinhae has been the major port for the ROK Navy since the establishment of the Korean Coast Guard by hosting vital naval facilities including the Naval Shipyard. Busan has become another major naval base for the CINCROKFLT since its Command Headquarters moved from Jinhae in 2007. Donghae, Pyeongtaek, and Mokpo hosts the command headquarters of the First, Second and the Third Fleet respectively. Incheon hosts a Defense Command under an one-star admiral responsible for littoral waters close to Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, the nation's capital. Pohang has a naval base for amphibious forces such as the 1st Marine Division located nearby. The ROK Navy also plans to build a new naval base on the southern coast of Jeju-do
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
for basing a squadron of the Maritime Task Flotilla and two submarine squadrons by 2014. The ROK Navy plans to strengthen its control over the seas around the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
by deploying these forces.
Relationship with the U.S. Navy
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
(C7F) is designated as Commander Combined Naval Component Command (CCNCC) "for the defense of the Korean peninsula; in the event of hostilities, all friendly naval forces in the theater would fall under C7F control." The ROK and US Governments have agreed on the transfer of wartime operational control to the South Korean government in 2015.
Commander Naval Forces Korea
Commander Naval Forces Korea
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea is a major shore command of the United States Navy that serves as the shore support agency for all U.S. Naval activity in South Korea. Known by the initials "CNFK", Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea is headquartered in Seoul on Yongsan Army Garrison and...
(CNFK) is a shore command of the United States Navy that serves as the shore support agency for all U.S. Naval activity in South Korea. Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae
Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae
Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae is a US Naval installation in Chinhae, Republic of Korea. It is located near Busan.-History:Originally a U.S. Naval Advisory Group in 1946, CFAC eventually evolved into the first Fleet Detachment, Naval Station, JUSMAG-K and then reorganized as the Chinhae...
(CFAC) is a U.S. Naval installation in Jinhae
Jinhae
Jinhae is a district in Changwon City, South Korea. This region is served by the Korean National Railroad, and is famous for its annual cherry blossom festival every spring....
.
Personnel
The ROK Navy has about 68,000 personnel, including the 27,000 members of the ROK Marine Corps (as of 2010). Among these members, about 11 percent of them are commissioned officers and about 32 percent of them are non-commissioned officers (including warrant officers). As a part of "Defense Reform 2020," which was proposed by the Roh Moo-hyunRoh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun GOM GCB was the 16th President of South Korea .Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea. His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics, culminating in his...
Administration, the ROK Navy has been directed to reduce its manpower to 64,000 sailors, airmen, and Marines.
Military service is mandatory for all South Korean men. In the ROK Navy, all members are volunteers, with enlisted sailors and airmen serving for 26-month periods, and enlisted Marines serving for 24-month periods; commissioned officer, warrant officer, and non-commissioned officer serving longer terms than those of enlisted men, or as career sailor, airmen, and Marines. In the year 2001, six female ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
s, who had become commissioned officers through the officer candidate school, were assigned to serve on surface ships of the ROK Navy, for the first time ever.
Commissioned officers
Warrant officers
Following the traditions of the British Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
the warrant officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
rank in the South Korean armed forces falls in between that of non-commissioned and commissioned officers. In the ROK Navy, warrant officers are mostly former non-commissioned officers who had earned the rating of Wonsa (Master Chief Petty Officer) and who had been selected for and completed a warrant officer candidate program. Another route to becoming a naval warrant officer is to complete a naval aviation warrant officer candidate program. Warrant officers generally mess in the wardroom
Wardroom
The wardroom is the mess-cabin of naval commissioned officers above the rank of Midshipman. The term the wardroom is also used to refer to those individuals with the right to occupy that wardroom, meaning "the officers of the wardroom"....
with commissioned officers.
Petty officers
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
) collectively. There are the appointments of Juim Wonsa and Juim Sangsa equivalent to that of the U.S. Navy's Command Master Chief Petty Officer
Command Master Chief Petty Officer
-Background:First referenced in OPNAVINST 1306.2C dated 16 October 1995, the Navy's Command Master Chief Program is a valuable asset which stimulates free-flowing communications and ensures the highest standards of professionalism are upheld at all levels within the chain of command...
(CMCPO). The positions are filled by senior Wonsa and Sangsa respectively and unlike their U.S. Navy counterparts, the ROK Navy Juim Wonsa and Juim Sangsa wear the same standard rate insignia of Wonsa or Sangsa and only wear a special identification badge. Every ROK Navy establishment and ship has either Juim Wonsa or Juim Sangsa. Petty officers wear a combination cap with a white cover and a gold chinstrap
Chinstrap
The chinstrap beard is a type of facial hair that extends from the hair line of one side of the face to the other, following the jawline, much like the chin curtain; unlike the chin curtain though, it does not cover the entire chin, but only the very edges of the jaw and chin...
.
Enlisted
Ranks and rates
In the ROK Navy, as in the rest of the ROK Armed Forces, ranks fall into one of four categories: commissioned officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer (petty officer), and enlisted, in decreasing order of authority. Commissioned officer ranks are subdivided into "Janggwan"-level officers (flag officers), "Yeonggawan"-level officers (Lieutenant Commander through Captain), and "Wigwan"-level officers (Ensign through Lieutenant). All three branches - the ArmyRepublic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
, the Navy, and the Air Force
Republic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea...
) of the ROK Armed Forces share the same names of ranks as written in Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
.
| ROK Armed Forces rank | Translation | U.S. Navy equivalent | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioned Officers (장교; 將校; Janggyo) | |||
| 장관 (將官; Janggwan) | |||
| 원수 (元帥; Wonsu Wonsu Wonsu is a very high military rank of the armed forces of the Republic of Korea and of North Korea.-South Korea:Wonsu, known in English as "General of the Army of the Republic of Korea", is the highest military rank of the Republic of Korea armed forces and is the combined equivalent of a Field... )¹ |
Fleet Admiral |  |
|
| 대장 (大將; Daejang Daejang Daejang is a senior military rank of the Korean Peninsula, used by both North and South Korea. It is considered the combined equivalent of a General and Admiral in other nations... ) |
Admiral | ||
| 중장 (中將; Jungjang) | Vice Admiral | ||
| 소장 (少將; Sojang) | Rear Admiral (Upper Half) | ||
| 준장 (准將; Junjang) | Rear Admiral (Lower Half) | ||
| 영관 (領官; Yeonggwan) | |||
| 대령 (大領; Daeryeong Taeryong Daeryeong is a Korean military rank used by the armed forces of South Korea. The rank is denoted by three large starbursts worn as a collar insignia. The rank is uniform throughout the Korean Army, Air force, and Navy. The equivalent rank is most western militaries in Colonel, with Captain... ) |
Captain² | ||
| 중령 (中領; Jungnyeong Chungryong Chungryong , often spelled Chung-Ryong, is a South Korean officer rank which is considered the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel and also to a Commander in the Republic of Korea Navy.... ) |
Commander | ||
| 소령 (少領; Soryeong Soryong Soryong is a South Korean rank which is equvialent to a Major and to a Lieutenant Commander. The South Korean insignia consists of a single star burst collar insignia.... ) |
Lieutenant Commander | ||
| 위관 (尉官; Wigwan) | |||
| 대위 (大尉; Daewi Daewi Daewi is a military rank in both South Korean and North Korean militaries.In the South Korean military, Daewi is a Korean military rank used in the South Korea military... ) |
Lieutenant | ||
| 중위 (中尉; Jungwi Chungwi Chungwi is the second most junior Korean officer rank in both the militaries of North and South Korea. It is considered the equivalent of a First Lieutenant in most other militaries.... ) |
Lieutenant Junior Grade | ||
| 소위 (少尉; Sowi Sowi Sowi is the junior most Korean officer rank in both the militaries of North and South Korea. It is considered the equivalent of a Second Lieutenant in most other militaries.... ) |
Ensign | ||
| Warrant Officers (준사관; 准士官; Junsagwan) | |||
| 준위 (准尉; Junwi Junwi Junwi is a Korean military rank which is the equivalent to a Warrant Officer in other countries. The rank of Junwi only exists in South Korea with the North Korean military having no equivalent.... ) |
Warrant Officer | Chief Warrant Officer Warrant Officer (United States) In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1... |
|
| Petty Officers (부사관; 副士官; Busagwan) | |||
| 원사 (元士; Wonsa) | Master Chief Petty Officer | Master Chief Petty Officer Master Chief Petty Officer - Master Chief Petty Officer :U.S. Coast GuardMaster ChiefPetty OfficerCap & Collar deviceU.S. Coast GuardMaster ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaGood conductRating badgeMaster ChiefPetty OfficerCap & Collar Insignia... , Senior Chief Petty Officer Senior Chief Petty Officer U.S. Coast GuardSenior ChiefPetty Officercollar deviceU.S. Coast GuardSenior ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaGood conductvariationSenior ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaSenior ChiefPetty Officercollar device... |
|
| 상사 (上士; Sangsa Sangsa Sangsa is a Korean military rank used by both the armed forces of North and South Korea. A Sangsa is the equivalent to a First Sergeant in most other militaries.... ) |
Chief Petty Officer | Chief Petty Officer Chief Petty Officer A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy... |
|
| 중사 (中士; Jungsa Chungsa Jungsa is a Korean military rank used by the armed forces of South and North Koreas. A Jungsa is the equivalent to a Sergeant First Class.The rank of Jungsa is junior to a Sangsa in North and South Korea.... ) |
Senior Petty Officer | Petty Officer First Class Petty Officer First Class Good conductvariation,12 years or moreof good conductPetty officerfirst classinsigniaU.S. Navy &U.S. Coast GuardPetty officer, first class is the sixth enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S... |
|
| 하사 (下士; Hasa) | Petty Officer | Petty Officer Second Class Petty Officer Second Class Good conductvariation,Petty OfficerSecond Classinsignia&U.S. Coast GuardPetty officer second class is the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S... |
|
| Enlisted (병; 兵; Byeong) | |||
| 병장 (兵長; Byeongjang) | Leading Seaman | Petty Officer Third Class Petty Officer Third Class U.S. NavyGood conductvariationU.S. NavyPetty officerthird classinsigniaPetty officer third class is the fourth enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above seaman and below petty officer second class, and is the lowest rank of non-commissioned officer, equivalent to a corporal in... |
|
| 상등병 (上等兵; Sangdeungbyeong) | Able Seaman | seamen | |
| 일등병 (一等兵; Ildeungbyeong) | Seaman First Class | Seaman Apprentice Seaman Apprentice ConstructionmanvariationFiremanvariationAirmanvariationSeamaninsigniaSeaman apprentice is the second lowest enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above seaman recruit and below seaman; this rank was formerly known as seaman second class.The actual title for an E-2 in the U.S.... |
|
| 이등병 (二等兵; Ideungbyeong) | Seaman Second Class | Seaman Recruit Seaman Recruit Seaman recruit is the lowest enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just below seaman apprentice; this rank was formerly known as seaman third class... |
|
¹: No one held the rank of Wonsu in the history of the ROK Armed Forces yet.
²: Senior Captains in command of Squadrons can be referred to as “Commodore
Commodore (USN)
Commodore was an early title and later a rank in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and a current honorary title in the U.S. Navy with an intricate history. Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize more than four ranks until 1862, considerable importance...
” verbally and in correspondence as in the U.S. Navy.
Naval engagements of the ROK Navy
- Battle of HaejuBattle of HaejuThe Battle of Haeju was a small naval battle during the main phase of Korean War. Off Haeju Island in the Yellow Sea, on September 10, 1950, days before the Battle of Inchon, South Korean Navy patrol boat PC-703 encountered a North Korean Navy minelayer sailing vessel...
- Gangneung Infiltration1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incidentThe 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident occurred on September 18, 1996, near the South Korean town of Gangneung. The incident was one of the more serious instances of North Korean espionage involving naval forces....
- Battle of Yosu
- First Battle of Yeonpyeong
- Second Battle of Yeonpyeong
- Battle of DaecheongBattle of DaecheongThe Battle of Daecheong was a skirmish between the South Korean and North Korean navies near the Northern Limit Line on 10 November 2009 off Daecheong Island...
Major international activities
- Pacific Reach: The ROK Navy has participated in the biannual submarine rescue exercise since 2000. In 2004, the ROK Navy hosted the exercise, which was the first multinational naval exercise the ROK Navy ever hosted.
- RIMPACRIMPACRIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime exercise. Conducted biennially , it is hosted and administered by the United States Navy, with the United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, and Hawaii National Guard forces under the leadership of...
: The ROK Naval forces have participated in the biannual multilateral naval exercise since 1990. - ROK-US combined amphibious landing exercise: The ROK Navy and ROKMC together with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps conduct the exercise annually in Korea.
- ROKN-JMSDF SAREX: The ROK Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) conducted the search and rescue exercise biannually since 1999.
- WP MCMEX/DIVEX: The mine warfare forces of the ROK Navy have participated in the Western Pacific Mine Counter Measure Exercise/Diving Exercise since 2004.
- Cruise Training: Since 1954, the ROK Navy has conducted the annual oceangoing training with the fourth year midshipmen (naval cadets) of the Naval Academy to provide on the job training before commissioning them and to foster relations with other navies around the world.
- Navy to Navy Talks: The ROK Navy holds regular naval conferences with its counterparts of GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Malaysia, SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the United Kingdom, and United States. - Cobra Gold: Together with the ROK Marines, ROKS Seonginbong (LST 685) had participated in Cobra Gold 2010.
Anti-piracy operations
In March 2009, the ROK Navy deployed the Cheonghae task group in response to piracyPiracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
attacks in shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. This task group is composed of a Chungmugong Yi Sunshin class destroyer and about 30 naval special warfare personnel. The group operates as part of the multinational task force, Combined Task Force 151
Combined Task Force 151
Combined Task Force 151 or CTF-151 or Combined Task Force One Five One is an international naval task force, set up in response to piracy attacks in shipping lanes off the coast of Somalia...
of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The ROK Navy has dispatched five warships to the mission area under the name of Cheonghae task group. As of September 2010, ROKS Wang Geon (DDH 978) is carrying out the mission in the area. On January 21, 2011 South Korean naval commandos carried out Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden
Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden
Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden was a naval operation by the Republic of Korea Navy against Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. The operation was spurred by the pirates' seizure of the South Korean chemical tanker Samho Jewelry. In response, the South Korean government sent a destroyer and 30 naval...
, an operation to rescue the crew of the hijacked MV Samho Jewelry
MV Samho Jewelry
MV Samho Jewelry is a Norwegian-owned and South Korean-operated chemical tanker. She was hijacked by Somali pirates on January 15, 2011 and rescued six days later by South Korean Navy commandos.-Description:...
and succeed in rescuing the crew and killing or capturing all of the pirates on board.
International fleet review
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, France, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, United Kingdom, United States) participated in the fleet review as well as 34 ships and 15 aircraft from South Korea. The ROK Navy hosted its second international fleet review off coast of Busan in October 2008 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the South Korean government. 22 ships from 11 countries (Australia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States) participated in the fleet review as well as 33 ships and 27 aircraft from South Korea.
The Cruise Training Unit - ROKS Kwaggaeto the Great (DDH 971), ROKS Jeju (FF 958) and ROKS Cheonji (AOE 57) participated in International Fleet Review 2002 commemorating the 50th anniversary of JMSDF in Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. The Cruise Training Fleet - ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin (DDH 975) and ROKS Cheonji (AOE 57) - visited the United Kingdom in order to take part in the International Fleet Review for Trafalgar 200
Trafalgar 200
Trafalgar 200 was a series of events in 2005 held mostly in the United Kingdom to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, where a British fleet led by Admiral Nelson defeated a joint Franco-Spanish fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. During the summer of 2005 there was an...
in 2005. In April 2009, ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111) and ROKS Kang Gamchan (DDH 979) attended an international fleet review to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
in Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
. In August 2009, the Cruise Training Flotilla - ROKS Choi Young (DDH 981) and ROKS Daecheong (AOE 58) participated in the Indonesian International Fleet Review, which commemorates the 64th anniversary of Indonesian independence.
Equipment
There are about 170 commissioned ships (with a total displacement of about 181,000 tons) in the ROK Navy, including some 20 destroyers and frigates, 12 submarines, 100 corvettes and fast attack craft as of 2011. The naval aviation force consists of about 70 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.Ships
The ROK Navy employs the U.S. Navy-style letter based hull classification symbols to designate the types of its ships and hull numberHull number
Hull number is a serial identification number given to a boat or ship. A lower number implies an older vessel. The precise usage varies by country and type....
s to uniquely identify its vessels (e.g. DDH 975). The names are that of the historical figures, provinces, cities, counties, peaks, lakes, islands, and birds. The Chief of Naval Operations selects the names of ships.
There are four ship ratings. A first-rate ship (DDG, DDH, Sohn Won-yil class SS, LPH, MLS, AOE, and ARS) is commanded by a captain; a second-rate ship (FF, SS, PCC, LST, and ATS) by a commander; a third-rate ship (SSM, PKG, MSH, and MHC) by a lieutenant commander; and a fourth-rate (PKM and LSF) is commanded by a lieutenant.
Major commissioned ships
Ship prefix
A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
for all the commissioned ROK Navy ship is ROKS (Republic of Korea Ship) when the names of ships are written in English.
Surface combatants (destroyers and frigates)
- Sejong the Great class (DDG: Destroyer Guided-missile; 2 in service)
- Chungmugong Yi Sunshin classChungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyerChungmugong Yi Sun-shin class destroyers are multipurpose destroyers of the Republic of Korea Navy. The lead ship of this class, ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin, was launched in May 2002 and commissioned in December 2003...
(DDH: Destroyer Helicopter; 6 in service) - Gwanggaeto the Great classGwanggaeto the Great class destroyerThe Gwanggaeto the Great class destroyers , often called KD-I class, are destroyers, but are classified by some as frigates, operated by the Republic of Korea Navy...
(DDH; 3 in service) - Ulsan classUlsan class frigateThe Ulsan class frigate is a class of multi-purpose Guided Missile Frigates built by South Korea. Presently in use with Republic of Korea Navy and Bangladesh Navy.- Design :...
(FF: Frigate; 9 in service)
Submarines
- Sohn Wonyil class (SS: Submarine; 3 in service)
- Chang Bogo class (SS; 9 in service)
- Dolgorae class (SSM: Midget Submarine; 2 in service)
Patrol ships (corvettes and patrol craft)
- Pohang classPohang class corvetteThe Pohang class corvette is a class of general purpose vessels operated by the Republic of Korea Navy. They have served in a coastal defense role during the late Cold War and post Cold War period....
(PCC: Patrol Combat Corvette; 21 in service) - Yoon Youngha classGumdoksuri class patrol vesselGumdoksuri class patrol vessel also known as PKG class patrol vessel is a patrol ship of the Republic of Korea Navy. Two variants are planned...
(PKG: Patrol Killer Guided-missile; 4 in service) - Chamsuri classChamsuri class patrol vesselChamsuri class patrol vessels are naval boats that function as patrol craft. These entered service with the South Korean navy in the 70s, and have since seen service with three other navies, of which the Philippine Navy is currently the largest non-South Korean user.These boats were built by the...
(PKM: Patrol Killer Medium; 75 in service)
Amphibious warfare ships
- Dokdo classDokdo class landing platform experimentalROKS Dokdo is the lead ship of the "LPX" class of amphibious landing ships of the Republic of Korea Navy, launched on 12 July 2005 at the shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Constructions Co...
(LPH: Landing Transport Helicopter; 1 in service) - Gojunbong classGo Jun Bong class LSTGo Jun Bong Class LST is an Amphibious Landing Ship class of the Republic of Korea Navy.- Development :In the late 1980s the Republic of Korea Navy decided to gradually replace its aging fleet of WW2 era LST-542 class LSTs bought from the US Navy in 1958...
(LST: Landing Ship Tank; 4 in service) - Solgae 621 classTsaplya class LCACThe Tsaplya class LCAC was a medium size assault hovercraft operated by the Russian Navy.-Configuration:These craft are a lengthened version of the Lebed class LCAC hovercraft, which is the Russian Navy equivalent to the U.S. Navy LCAC. They were also meant to replace the smaller Gus class LCAC....
(LSF: Landing Ship Fast; (Project 12061E Murena-E); transferred from RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
; 3 in service) - Solgae 631 class (LSF; aka LSF-II; 2 in service)
- Mulgae class (LCU: Landing Craft Utility; less than 10 in service)
Mine warfare ships
- Wonsan classWonsan class minelayerWonsan class minelayer is currently the only minelayer in the Republic of Korea Navy.The Republic of Korea Navy planned to commission three Wonsan class mine layers. However, due to budget problems, only one was commissioned....
(MLS: Minelayer Ship; 1 in service) - Yangyang class (MSH: Minesweeper Hunter; 3 in service)
- Ganggyeong class (MHC: Minehunter Coastal; 6 in service)
Auxiliary ships
- Cheonji class (AOE: Fast Combat Support Ship; 3 in service)
- Cheonghaejin classChung Haejin Class ASRChung Haejin Class ASR is a Submarine rescue ship class of the Republic of Korea Navy. Only one ship has been built in her class, the ROKS Chung Haejin , in 1995. Its operations include rescuing trapped sailors in submarines, naval operation support for submarines, underwater research and mapping...
(ASR: Submarine Rescue Ship; 1 in service) - Pyeongtaek class (ATS: Salvage and Rescue Ship; ex-USN Edenton class; 2 in service)
- Sinsegi class (AGS: Surveying Ship; 1 in service)
- Sincheonji class (AGS; 1 in service)
- Dadohae class (ASL: Midget-submarine Tender; 1 in service)
Ships under construction
- Sejong the Great class (DDG; 3 in this class; 2 in service; 1 launched)
- Sohn Wonyil classType 214 submarineThe Type 214 is a diesel-electric submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH . It features diesel propulsion with an air-independent propulsion system using Siemens polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells...
(SS; 9 in this class: 3 in service; 3 under construction; 3 more planned) - Yoon Youngha classGumdoksuri class patrol vesselGumdoksuri class patrol vessel also known as PKG class patrol vessel is a patrol ship of the Republic of Korea Navy. Two variants are planned...
(PKG; 18 in this class: 4 in service; 4 launched; 2 under construction; 8 more planned) - Incheon classInchon class frigateThe Incheon class frigates , also known as Future Frigate eXperimental or FFX during development, are coastal defense frigates of the Republic of Korea Navy. The lead ship was launched on 29 April 2011...
(FFG; 18~24 in this class: 1 launched; 17~23 more planned)
Aircraft
Commander Air Wing Six is the name of the ROK Navy that is responsible for all of its aircraft. This Air Wing's operational headquarters is located in PohangPohang
Pohang is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River...
, and its naval air stations are in Pohang (K-3), Jinhae
Jinhae
Jinhae is a district in Changwon City, South Korea. This region is served by the Korean National Railroad, and is famous for its annual cherry blossom festival every spring....
(K-10), and Mokpo
Mokpo
Mokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea...
(K-15). Air Wing Six has about 20 fixed-wing and 50 rotary-wing aircraft as of 2011.
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Versions
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|In service
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Fixed-wing
|-
| Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
P-3C Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
|| || ASW/surveillance aircraft || P-3C
P-3CK || 8
8 || -
P-3B modernized by KAI
|-
| Reims
Reims Aviation
Reims Aviation Industries is a French aircraft manufacturer located in the city of Reims, currently producing the F406 Caravan II. Reims Aviation is a wholly owned subsidiary of GECI Aviation.-History:...
-Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
F406 Caravan II ||
|| light utility aircraft || F406 || 5 || -
|-
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Rotary-wing
|-
| Westland
Westland Helicopters
Westland Helicopters was a British aerospace company. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It merged with several other British firms in 1961...
Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
|| || ASW helicopter || Lynx Mk.99
Super Lynx Mk.99A || 11
12 || -
|-
| Sikorsky Aircraft
Sikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
UH-60 || || utility transport helicopter || UH-60P || 7 || built by KAL-ASD
|-
| Bell Helicopter UH-1 || || utility transport helicopter || UH-1H || 13 || -
|-
| Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale was a French aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale...
Alouette III || || light utility helicopter || SA-319B || 5 || trainer
Ships
- Korean Submarine (KSS) program
The KSS program was a three-phased project to build up the ROK Navy's submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
forces. Before the KSS program, the submarine fleet of the ROK Navy consisted of midget submarines, such as the Dolgorae class submarine and SX 756 Dolphin class submarine, which had limited capabilities for inshore operations.
Through the first phase, KSS-I, the ROK Navy acquired nine 1,200-ton Chang Bo-go class submarines
Type 209 submarine
The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...
. For the second phase, KSS-II, the ROK Navy plans to acquire nine 1,800-ton Type 214 submarine
Type 214 submarine
The Type 214 is a diesel-electric submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH . It features diesel propulsion with an air-independent propulsion system using Siemens polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells...
s with Air-Independent propulsion (AIP) system; the lead ship of her class, the Sohn Won-yil (SS 072) was launched at a shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries on June 9, 2006. In June 2007, the ROK Navy launched its second 1,800-ton submarine named Jeong Ji, after a military general of the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
Kingdom who defeated Japanese invaders. The Type 214 submarine is expected to play a key role in safeguarding the country's maritime interests as a part of the Navy's Mobile Flotilla. The third phase of the program, KSS-III is scheduled to begin in 2007 and to build the lead ship of her class in 2017. A total of nine 3,000-ton KSS-III submarines are expected to be built in South Korea with indigenous technologies (i.e. not going under license as the previous KSS-I and KSS-II submarines).
- Korean Destroyer Experimental (KDX) program
Korean experimental destroyer program
Korean Destroyer eXperimental
KDX is a substantial shipbuilding program embarked on by the Republic of Korea Navy.*It is a three-phased program consisting of three individual classes of ships:** KDX-I ,** KDX-II ,...
is a three-phased program to modernize the surface fleet by developing and constructing new destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s for the ROK Navy with advanced combat systems and weaponry. The outcomes of this program include the Kwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers, which are the first ROK destroyers to be armed with surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s; the Chungmugong Yi Sunshin-class ASW destroyers; and the powerful King Sejong the Great-class destroyers, which are equipped with the sophisticated AEGIS combat system
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
for air-defense and anti-missile operations. These new destroyers replaced antiquated destroyers that had been transferred from the U.S. Navy decades ago.
In October 2009, the ROK Navy announced plans to build and commission six destroyers of 5,600-ton empty displacement with the AEGIS system (the KDX-II A destroyers) from 2019 to 2026 for beefing up the Maritime Task Flotilla.
- Frigate Experimental (FFX)
The FFX project aims to replace the Ulsan class frigates and Donghae/Pohang class corvettes with new 2,300-ton frigates. The total number of the ships to built is 20 to 24 by 2020 and the first batch of six new frigates are planned to be commissioned by 2015, and another fourteen commissioned by 2018. Hyundai Heavy Industries
Hyundai Heavy Industries
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. is the world's largest shipbuilding company, headquartered in Ulsan, South Korea. The company is a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group...
will build the lead ship that is planned to enter service in 2011. These frigates will be armed with the American-made Phalanx CIWS system
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
and the rolling airframe missile system, and they will each carry a Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
helicopter.
- Patrol Killer Experimental (PKX)
Through the PKX program, the ROK Navy plans to build a feet of a next generation patrol craft with Cooperative Engagement Capability and enhanced weaponry such as 76 mm guns and the KSSM anti-ship missiles. There are two variations of Geomdoksuri class patrol craft: Geomdoksuri-A and Geomdoksuri-B. The Geomdoksuri-A will be a 570-ton patrol craft with anti-ship missiles; Geomdoksuri-B will be a 300-ton patrol craft serving as the platform design for the Geomdoksuri-A variation. It is speculated that 34 Geomdoksuri-As and 18 Geomdoksuri-Bs are planned. The first batch of nine Geomdoksuri-As are expected to enter in service by 2015 and to replace the aging Chamsuri class
Chamsuri class patrol vessel
Chamsuri class patrol vessels are naval boats that function as patrol craft. These entered service with the South Korean navy in the 70s, and have since seen service with three other navies, of which the Philippine Navy is currently the largest non-South Korean user.These boats were built by the...
patrol craft.
On 28 June 2007, the Yoon Young-ha (PKG 711), the lead ship of her class, was launched at the shipyard of Hanjin
Hanjin
The Hanjin Group is a South Korean conglomerate, or Jaebeol. The group is a holding company that includes a shipping company, Hanjin Shipping , and Korean Air , which was acquired in 1969...
Heavy Industries in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
. She is scheduled to be delivered to the South Korean navy in 2008.
- Landing Platform Experimental (LPX)
The LPX project was the ROK Navy's new amphibious landing ship
Amphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault...
project for which Hanjin Heavy Industries & Constructions Co. has provided the general design package. The ROK Navy's requirements for the new amphibious landing ships were to enhance Korea's current amphibious operation capability, both in terms of assault and military operations other than war
Military operations other than war
Military Operations Other Than War focus on deterring war, resolving conflict, promoting peace, and supporting civil authorities in response to domestic crises. The phrase and acronym was coined by the United States military during the 1990s, but it has since fallen out of use. The UK military...
(MOOTW) type operations.
On 12 July 2005, ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111), the lead ship of her class, was launched at the shipyard of Hanjin
Hanjin
The Hanjin Group is a South Korean conglomerate, or Jaebeol. The group is a holding company that includes a shipping company, Hanjin Shipping , and Korean Air , which was acquired in 1969...
Heavy Industries in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
. She was delivered to the South Korean navy in July, 2007. The first air cushion landing craft (ROKS LSF 631) of LSF-II project was delivered for ROKS Dokdo in April, 2007.
In October 2009, the ROKN revealed that it plans to commission a new 14,500-ton (full displacement 18,800 tons) LPX around 2018.
- LST-II project
The ROK Navy plans to commission four new amphibious ships of 4,500-ton empty displacement between 2014 and 2017.
- AOE-II Project
The ROKN plans to commission an uncertain number of 12,000-ton fast combat support ships (AOE) around 2017 to relieve the 9,000-ton Cheonji class ships.
- ATS-II project
Through ATS-II project, the ROKN will replace the two ex-USN Beaufort class ships with two locally built 3500-ton salvage and rescue ships.
- Training Ship Experimental (ATX)
The ROK Navy plans to commission a new 4,500-ton training ship (ATX) for midshipmen and officer candidates around 2015.
- MLS-II Project
The ROKN plans to build and commission an uncertain number of minelayer ships similar to ROKS Wonsan (MLS 560).
- MSH Phase 2
The ROKN plans to build and commission an uncertain number of mine countermeasure ships similar to the Yangyang class.
Aircraft
- Maritime patrol aircraft program phase II
The ROK Navy had acquired eight P-3C
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
aircraft through the maritime patrol aircraft program phase I. Eight more ex-USN P-3CK
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
maritime patrol aircraft had been delivered to the ROK Navy by 2010 after undergoing extensive refubishment and modernization.
- Mine countermeasure helicopter program
The ROK Navy had planned to acquire new mine countermeasure helicopters by 2012 with a budget of 480 billion won. AgustaWestland EH-101, NHIndustries NH-90, and Sikorsky MH-60S were being considered as possible candidates for the acquisition program before it decided to hold the project due to global financial crisis that hit the world in 2008.
See also
- Joseon NavyJoseon NavyThe Joseon Navy is the navy of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea.-History:During the Joseon Dynasty, however, the navy and maritime operations fell into disuse, while fishing ships continued to operate and prosper. Because of the relative peace during the Joseon dynasty, the entire military itself...
- Naval history of KoreaNaval history of KoreaThe naval history of Korea dates back thousands of years since the prehistoric times when simple fishing ships were used. Military naval history dates back to the Three Kingdoms period and Unified Silla dynasties of Korea in the 7th century...
- North Korean Navy
- Korea Coast GuardRepublic of Korea Coast GuardThe Korea Coast Guard is responsible for maritime safety and control off the coast of South Korea. The KCG is an external branch of Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs at peacetime...
- Yi SunshinYi Sun-sinYi Sun-shin was a Korean naval commander, famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty, and is well-respected for his exemplary conduct on and off the battlefield not only by Koreans, but by Japanese Admirals as well...
External links
- Republic of Korea Navy official website (Korean) (English)
- MaritimeQuest ROK Navy Index
- [War Memorial of Korea]