Minister Shin Won-sik Who Found Cheonan Ship: "If Provoked, 'Immediate, Strong, Final'"

Visit to the Navy 2nd Fleet Command... Inspection of Cheonan Ship Readiness

Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik visited the Navy 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, where the Cheonan ship is deployed, and ordered, "If the enemy provokes, retaliate with the principle of 'Jik·Gang·Kkeut' (Immediately, Strongly, Until the End) so that they never dare to provoke again."

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 26th, Minister Shin inspected the readiness of the Cheonan ship, which was revived after 13 years, during his visit to the Navy 2nd Fleet Command that day.

After paying respects at the memorial for the 46 fallen heroes together with surviving Cheonan ship soldiers, Minister Shin said, "The 46 heroes who sacrificed themselves and the surviving soldiers were the true victors," adding, "The history of the 2nd Fleet is a history of victory that has steadfastly protected the West Sea." He continued, "The Cheonan ship, returned as the guardian of the West Sea, like Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s turtle ship of the fleet, should serve as the vanguard of our military. If the enemy provokes again, I hope it will mercilessly sink them and avenge the grudge of our predecessors."

The former Cheonan ship sank on March 26, 2010, about 1 km southwest of Baengnyeongdo Island, after being attacked by a torpedo from a North Korean submarine. In this attack, 46 crew members of the Cheonan ship were killed, and Lieutenant Han Joo-ho, who was deployed in the search operation, died in the line of duty.

The Navy’s new frigate Cheonan (FFG-II, 2,800 tons) has returned. It is the latest warship that revives the name of the Cheonan ship (PCC-772), which was retired after being hit by a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine on March 26, 2010.

The revived Cheonan ship is stronger than before. It has been upgraded from a patrol ship to a frigate. Patrol ships, which perform coastal security missions, are smaller than frigates. Frigates have specialized missions such as coastal security and convoy escort, but due to advancements in weapon systems, they possess combat power comparable to destroyers. The Cheonan ship is 122 meters long, 14 meters wide, 35 meters high, weighs 2,800 tons, has a top speed of 30 knots (55 km/h), and can carry one maritime operation helicopter.

Additionally, it is equipped with armaments such as a 5-inch naval gun, anti-ship missiles, and tactical surface-to-surface guided missiles and missile defense guided missiles launched from the Korean Vertical Launching System (KVLS). Notably, it is equipped with the Hong Sang-eo, a long-range anti-submarine torpedo that the former Cheonan ship did not have. The Hong Sang-eo is an anti-submarine guided weapon system equipped with lightweight torpedoes launched vertically from surface ships to attack distant enemy submarines. The launch flame suppression technology applied to the vertical launching system that carries and operates the Hong Sang-eo was independently developed domestically. It also has superior submarine countermeasure capabilities compared to the former Cheonan ship. It is equipped with a towed array sonar system (TASS), which the former Cheonan ship did not have, enabling submarine detection from long distances.

The naming of the new frigate Cheonan carries the meaning of honoring the Cheonan ship that sank due to a North Korean torpedo attack. The patrol ship Cheonan (PCC-772), commissioned in 1988, protected the West Sea, including participation in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong, before being hit by a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine on March 26, 2010, and subsequently retired. The Navy has been reviewing the naming of the Cheonan ship since the end of 2019 at the request of the Cheonan ship bereaved families and related organizations.

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