The Navy Will Fly the 'Thank You' Flag on All Ships

Soldiers from Hongdaeseonham (guided missile fast attack craft, left vessel) and Hyeonsihakham (guided missile fast attack craft, right vessel) are signing "Thank you" in Korean Sign Language in front of the "THANK YOU" banner as part of the '#ThanksChallenge' to express gratitude and respect.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The Navy will raise flags on all vessels to support medical personnel dedicated to responding to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 6th, the Navy announced that it will hoist signal flags meaning 'Thank you' on all vessels.

Signal flags are maritime communication tools used on ships. There are flags representing each letter of the alphabet from 'A' to 'Z', which can be used alone or in combination to convey messages, and they are internationally recognized.

The flags will be raised on the day when shore leave for crew members was permitted for the first time in 11 weeks. Shore leave for ship crew had been restricted since February 22. The Navy stated that by hoisting the flags, it is participating in the 'Thanks to You Challenge' to express gratitude to medical personnel.

The Navy explained that participating in the Thanks to You Challenge carries the meaning of appreciating the dedication of medical staff and supporting citizens who actively practiced social distancing.

Major Shim Eun-young, captain of the guided missile fast attack craft Hong Dae-seon (400t class), said, "Even a single infection can paralyze the entire ship, so special preventive measures are required," adding, "Participation in the challenge also expresses encouragement to the crew who have been on standby on the ship until now."

Corporal Kim Jeong-hoon, an ordnance specialist on the fast patrol boat Chamsuri-331 (130t class), said, "I am happy to finally be able to go on the long-awaited shore leave," and added, "Being able to go on leave is thanks to the dedication of medical personnel and the voluntary participation of the public."

According to Ministry of National Defense guidelines, the Navy will allow leave for personnel working on land and repair vessels starting from the 8th of this month. However, personnel operating core forces such as ships and command and control rooms will be allowed shore leave from this day and leave starting from the 13th.

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