Naval Operations Command Relocates to Busan

Korea’s Naval Operations Command recently relocated to Jakjeon Naval Base in Busan from Jinhae, Gyeongnam Province, and will complete the move on December 1.

On that day, there will be a ceremony to celebrate the event, and on December 3, around 800 people, including Chief of Naval Operations Song Yeong-moo, Busan Mayor Heo Nam-shik, heads of major organizations, and resident representatives will attend to celebrate the relocation on the drill ground.

The base will serve as the headquarters of the Korean navy. Its main job is to protect 321,000 km² of sea, 3.2 times the size of South Korea, as well as about 3,000 islets.

The base, completed last June, can hold 30 naval vessels, including 7,000-ton Aegis ships, at the same time, and is expected to serve as the main base for Korean naval assets.

Ahn Gi-seok, vice admiral and chief of Naval Operations Command, said, “The relocation of the command headquarters to Busan has made it possible for the Navy to launch fleets more quickly to counter conflicts at sea. I will develop the Korean Navy into a maritime protection force by strengthening the effectiveness of our operations and security.”

Naval Operations Command, created in Jinhae in August 1952 during the Korean War, has executed several successful operations, including naval transport operations during the Vietnam War, the defeat of North Korean spy vessels and submarines, and the naval clash with the North in 1999.

ysh1005@donga.com