Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

The warship’s successful anti-piracy operations showcased the excellence of the Republic of Korean Fleet to the world

Convoyed approximately 780 vessels in Somali waters for about 200 days 

Carried out joint exercises with UAE, Thailand, etc. to enhance international maritime security 

The Wang Geon warship, which belongs to the 27th camp of the Cheonghae Unit, has returned home following a successful deployment mission that lasted about 200 days. 

The Republic of Korea Fleet Command (ROKFC) said that a welcoming ceremony for the Wang Geon warship belonging to the 27th camp of the Cheonghae Unit, which had returned home from its deployment mission, was held in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on the morning of January 9th. 

Approximately 900 people, including Park Ki-kyung, chief of the ROKFC, main commanders and soldiers in the Jinhae area, and families of the members of the Cheonghae Unit, attended the ceremony to celebrate the successful completion of the missions and welcome the ship's return.  

The Wang Geon warship had perfectly convoyed about 780 domestic and foreign vessels in Somali waters during its deployment period since its departure last June. It also supported activities to protect deep-sea fishing boats operating in the Indian Ocean and West African waters from pirates, and developed combined operations capabilities through various joint exercises. Significantly, it enhanced its capacity to carry out combined anti-piracy operations while it conducted a joint exercise with the ARC Unit-United Arab Emirates (UAE) maritime operation team for the first time as Cheonghae Unit. It also built up a combined mutual-assistance system through joint opportunity-based exercises with Thai and Spanish fleets and cooperative exchange with the Italian fleet. 

In addition, the Wang Geon warship conducted exchange activities with relevant organizations, including a visit to the Thai naval base headquarters and NATO’s maritime interdiction operation training center when anchoring at a port of call, and helped enhance Korea's profile by holding events to show its gratitude to Korean war veterans in Thailand and Greece.

By ka-Young, Kim <kky71@dema.mil.kr >

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