South Korea Just Got Its Newest Frigates—with More on the Way

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The Republic of Korea Navy is expected to operate six domestically-made Chungnam-class frigates by 2028, and has already built four of them.

The Korean peninsula has a rich naval history, albeit a relatively unknown one in the West. During the late 16th century, the Joseon Navy, led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin, famously defeated Japanese invasions using large panokseon warships and specialized geobukseon, popularly known as “turtle ships.” However, its navy declined as the kingdom later took on an “army first policy,” and it proved unable to defend the peninsula from Japanese encroachment in the 19th and early 20th century.

The modern Republic of Korea (South Korean) Navy, founded in 1945, has grown from a small coastal force into a powerful, high-tech navy capable of blue-water operations. More impressively, South Korea has recently been on a building spree. At the end of April, its state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) oversaw the launch of the ROKS Jeju (FFG-832), the fourth 3,600-ton Chungnam-class (FFX-III)........

© The National Interest