Two Korean vessels reach Chennai, to stay till Oct 1

CHENNAI: Two Korean Naval Ships named ROKS Hansando and ROKS Daecheong made a friendly visit to Chennai on Wednesday. It will be anchored till October 1.

During the stay in the city, the Korean Navy will be part of various activities. This is the third visit of ROKN Cruise Training Task Group to Chennai following their visits in 2014 and 2015.

The Korean Navy Cruise Training Task Group led by Rear Admiral Kang Dong-goo was formed as a midshipmen training program for the 4th year of the Korean Naval Academy to foster midshipmen’s adaptability to a real maritime environment.

"A total of 470 Korean Navy personnel, including 164 final year cadets, of the Korean Naval Academy are on board. And 10 per cent of women cadets are part of the training session. The ship will be used for training purposes and defence capabilities," Staff of Public Affairs Kim, Yoon-young said.

Two #KoreanNavalShips, ROKS Hansando & ROKS Daecheong arrived in #Chennai for a friendly visit. During its stay from Sept 28 - Oct 1, the crew will take part in "#WeLoveMarina" campaign in which they will help cleaning #MarinaBeach & more.

📸 @agam_justin #Marinacampaign pic.twitter.com/AOgFBX7Y9X

— DT Next (@dt_next) September 28, 2022

The ships were made in Korea with state-of-the-art technology. ROKS Hansando, commissioned in 2020, is Korea’s first training ship with full capacity of 300 personnel. ROKS Daecheong, commissioned in 1997, is a multipurpose fast combat support ship capable of supplying ammunition, fuel, fresh water, and other logistic support to combat ships in naval operations.

The Korean Naval Ships began their 110-days long voyage on September 2, that will cover 9 countries and 10 ports around the Indo-Pacific region, including Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, PNG, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and the USA. Chennai Port is their third destination, and after four days of stay, the vessel will move to Indonesia.

The officials stated that their journey will strengthen ties and promote mutual understanding between Korea and the visiting countries.

On Thursday, they will take part in "We Love Marina" campaign in which they clean up the beach along with Korean community people and local Indian participants. The Korean Navy Brass Band will show Korean Cultural Performance to Indian audience at the Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science.

Later in the evening, the on-board reception will be hosted by the Korean Navy for the Indian dignitaries and Korean community peoples. Mano Thangaraj, IT Minister of Tamil Nadu will attend as guest of honor.