Cheonanham Revived as New-Class Corvette

Cheonan Ship Exhibition Facility (Source=Asia Economy DB)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The name of the Cheonan ship, which was attacked 10 years ago, is expected to be revived for a new class of frigate.

A military official stated on the 26th, "Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo has instructed to actively consider naming a ship 'Cheonan' on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Cheonan attack this year," adding, "The Navy is actively reviewing plans to revive the Cheonan ship name."

The Navy named patrol ships after small and medium-sized cities such as Cheonan, Jinhae, Gunsan, and Donghae, but as patrol ships have been phased out and frigates are being built, they are considering assigning these names to new frigates. The Cheonan ship is currently exhibited at the Security Park of the 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek.

The Navy has constructed 2,800-ton new frigates named Daegu, Gyeonggi, Seoul, and Gangwon. At the end of 2018, they signed a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to build the 5th and 6th new frigates, making it highly likely that one of these vessels will be named Cheonan.

Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo may also publicly discuss the naming of the ship during the 10th anniversary events of the Cheonan incident. In September 2010, the Cheonan Citizens' Countermeasures Committee in Chungnam met with then-Deputy Defense Minister Lee Yong-geol and delivered a petition urging the reconstruction of the Cheonan ship along with the 'Cheonan Reconstruction Citizens' Signature List.'

Since then, names such as 'New Cheonan' and 'Shin Cheonan' have been mentioned within some military circles, and the Navy has continuously reviewed the revival of the Cheonan ship name.

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