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| ROKS Cheonan frigate, named after a corvette torpedoed by North Korea in March 2010, is seen in this May 19 photo provided by the Korean Navy. Yonhap |
The Navy was set to hold a ceremony Friday to officially introduce into service a new frigate named after a warship torpedoed by North Korea in 2010, officials said.
The commissioning ceremony for the 2,800-ton Cheonan, was scheduled to take place at a key naval base in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the armed service and the state arms procurement agency.
The 1,200-ton Cheonan sank near the Northern Limit Line, a de facto western inter-Korean sea border, in March 2010, after a North Korean midget submarine fired a torpedo at it, killing 46 sailors aboard.
The ceremony will be attended by former crew members of the eponymous vessel, including Choi Won-il, the captain of the corvette at the time of its sinking.
The new Cheonan is the seventh warship produced as part of Korea's plans to procure eight new frigates designed to replace the aging fleet of 1,500-ton frigates and 1,000-ton corvettes.
The warship is equipped with anti-ship and ship-to-ground missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, as well as hull mounted and towed array sonar systems.
After undergoing further operational assessment, the frigate is expected to be deployed for operations in the Yellow Sea late this year.
"Containing the patriotism of the Cheonan's 46 fallen soldiers, the revived Cheonan will perfectly conduct operations to protect our seas as a core asset of the Republic of Korea's Navy," Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo, commander of the ROK Navy Fleet, was quoted as saying. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, Korea's official name. (Yonhap)
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