Next group of anti-piracy troops to depart for Somali waters: Navy

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, July 15 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean destroyer will leave Thursday for
waters off the Somali coast to replace a 300-strong naval unit that has operated
there as part of a multinational anti-piracy drive, the Navy said.
The 4,500-ton Dae Jo Yeong will take over from the Munmu the Great destroyer,
which has escorted South Korean vessels in the Gulf of Aden since April and
conducted six rescue operations.
The 300-crew destroyer is expected to join the U.S.-led Combined Task Force in
the region in mid-August, according to the South Korean Navy.
"The next group of Cheonghae unit soldiers is to depart Thursday for the Gulf of
Aden from Jinhae port" located on South Korea's southern coast, the Navy said in
a release.
Approximately 500 South Korean ships ply the Gulf of Aden each year. About 150 of
them are vulnerable to pirate attacks because of their low speed, according to
the ministry.
Somalia has not had a functional government since its dictator was overthrown by
warlords in 1991. Poverty has driven a large number of locals to piracy, and
black market sales of weapons run rampant.
The Dae Jo Yeong was commissioned in 2003 and can travel at a maximum speed of 29
knots.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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