Cheonanham Captain Choi Won-il: "New Cheonanham, Hope to Become the Poseidon of West Sea Defense"

Lieutenant Colonel Choi Won-il, who participated in a joint interview with the Ministry of National Defense press corps on the 5th anniversary of the Cheonan sinking in 2015

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] Choi Won-il, a Navy Lieutenant Colonel who was the captain during the Cheonan ship sinking incident, expressed his feelings on the 27th about naming the new frigate Cheonan, saying, "I hope it becomes the Poseidon of West Sea Defense, imbued with the spirit of the 104 comrades of Cheonan." Currently serving at the ROK-US Combined Forces Command and scheduled to retire next year, this is the first time in five years that Lt. Col. Choi has spoken to the media.

On the previous day, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo stated at the 10th anniversary memorial ceremony for Cheonan held at the Pyeongtaek 2nd Fleet Command, "Our military is considering naming one of the next Korean-type frigates Cheonan." The ship to be named Cheonan is expected to be one of the Batch-Ⅲ frigates that will replace the patrol combat corvettes (PCC).

Regarding this, Lt. Col. Choi said, "I hope the new Cheonan will be equipped with a powerful weapons system and become the Poseidon of West Sea Defense, imbued with the spirit of the 104 comrades of Cheonan." He expressed expectations for the new weapons system of the newly named Cheonan, stemming from past wounds.

Lt. Col. Choi emphasized the weapons system of Cheonan because, at the time of the attack, the ship lacked adequate torpedo detection capabilities. Some argued "failure in vigilance" and demanded punishment for Lt. Col. Choi, who was the captain at the time. However, as information about Cheonan’s performance was gradually revealed, the theory of vigilance failure began to fade. The Cheonan’s sonar was dedicated to submarine detection, and torpedo sounds were in a different frequency band, making detection impossible.

The new Cheonan will have significantly enhanced performance. It will be equipped with the SQS-240K sonar, capable of detecting enemy submarines up to 30 km away, and a Torpedo Acoustic Countermeasure (TACM) system that can detect torpedoes. The TACM also includes a torpedo decoy function that lures approaching enemy torpedoes away to a distant location.

Lt. Col. Choi conveyed his expectations for the new Cheonan and gratitude to the public. He said, "I have high hopes for the revival of Cheonan with the naming of the new frigate, and I am grateful for the support of the people even amid the COVID-19 situation." He added, "As the name suggests, I wish for a powerful Cheonan that protects the people of the Republic of Korea peacefully under the sky." This was a heartfelt wish from an active-duty officer that pains like the Cheonan attack should never happen again.

Meanwhile, the 'West Sea Defense Day' commemorative ceremony honoring the victims of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, the Cheonan ship sinking, and the Yeonpyeong Island shelling provocation was held at 10 a.m. on the 27th at the National Daejeon National Cemetery, attended by President Moon Jae-in and leaders from ruling and opposition parties. This was President Moon’s first attendance at the West Sea Defense Day ceremony since taking office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.