Launch ceremony set for latest indigenously-built attack submarine

SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- The Navy was set to hold a launching ceremony Tuesday for its latest indigenously-built attack submarine, a key asset in boosting its undersea deterrence against maritime threats around the Korean Peninsula, the armed force said.

The 3,600-ton Seo Hui attack submarine was to be moved into the water for the first time during the ceremony at Hanwha Ocean Co.'s shipyard in Geoje, some 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the Navy said in a statement jointly released by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The Seo Hui warship, named after an eminent diplomat from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), is the second vessel in South Korea's Jang Bogo-III Batch-II submarine program, following the Jang Young-sil lead vessel that was launched in October last year.

The Batch-II submarines are larger and longer than the preceding 3,000-ton Batch-I class vessels currently in active service.

The upgraded vessels are equipped with an expanded vertical launch system capable of firing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), supported by an advanced sensor suite that serves as the submarine's "eyes and ears."

The Seo Hui is powered by a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system featuring high-capacity lithium-ion batteries and air-independent propulsion (AIP), enabling the vessel to remain submerged for significantly longer periods.

The vessel is expected to operate as a key South Korean naval deterrent force amid North Korea's expansion of its own naval fleet, including the new 5,000-ton Kang Kon and Choe Hyon destroyers.

The Seo Hui submarine is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2028 following various operational tests.

elly@yna.co.kr
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