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

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- A 300-crew South Korean destroyer left Thursday for
Somali waters to replace a naval unit that has operated there as part of a
multinational anti-piracy campaign, 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 Dae Jo Yeong, which left the southern port of Jinhae, is expected to join the
U.S.-led Combined Task Force in the region in mid-August, according to the South
Korean Navy.
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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