The Republic of Korea Navy is expected to operate six domestically-made Chungnam-class frigates by 2028, and has already built four of them.

The Korean peninsula has a rich naval history, albeit a relatively unknown one in the West. During the late 16th century, the Joseon Navy, led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin, famously defeated Japanese invasions using large panokseon warships and specialized geobukseon, popularly known as “turtle ships.” However, its navy declined as the kingdom later took on an “army first policy,” and it proved unable to defend the peninsula from Japanese encroachment in the 19th and early 20th century.

The modern Republic of Korea (South Korean) Navy, founded in 1945, has grown from a small coastal force into a powerful, high-tech navy capable of blue-water operations. More impressively, South Korea has recently been on a building spree. At the end of April, its state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) oversaw the launch of the ROKS Jeju (FFG-832), the fourth 3,600-ton Chungnam-class (FFX-III) frigate, at the SK Ocean Plant’s shipyard in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province. 

The Jeju’s launch follows the November launch of the third Chungnam-class frigate, the ROKS Jeonnam (FFG-831), at the same shipyard last fall—an output rate putting its competitors in the United States to shame.

“The construction of ROKS Jeju, built entirely with domestic technology, demonstrates the excellence of Korea’s shipbuilding capability and is expected to contribute to expanding the defense export base,” said Chung Jae-joon, deputy minister for the DAPA Current Capabilities Program.

A total of six guided-missile frigates will be built and delivered to the ROK Navy by 2028. The keel for the fifth frigate of the class was laid down in January at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ (HHI’s) shipyard, the world’s largest shipyard, located on the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula.

The Chungnam‑Class Frigate’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 2023
• Number Built: 4 (6 planned)
• Length: 129 m (423 ft 3 in)
• Beam: 14.8 m (48 ft 7 in)
• Draft: 4.2 m (13 ft 1 in)
• Displacement: 3,600 tons (standard), ~4,300 tons (full load)
• Propulsion: CODLOG (Combined Diesel-Electric or Gas)
  • Two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines
  • Four MTU 12V4000 M43B diesel generators
  • Two Leonardo Electric Motors, and Two (2) shafts
  • Two controllable pitch propellers
• Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h), max. / 18 knots (33 km/h)
• Range: 4,500 nmi (5,178 mi, 8,330 km)
• Armament:
  • Missiles: 16-cell K-VLS-II (K-SAAM, SSM-700K C-Star, Hong Sang Eo anti-sub rocket)
  • One Mk 45 5-inch deck gun
  • 30mm CIWS
• Crew: 120

The indigenously developed multirole Chungnam‑class frigates were developed to enhance South Korea’s maritime security greatly, and are capable of anti-submarine and anti-aircraft operations. The warships are based on the preceding Daegu-class, which was built on the Incheon-class, and are sometimes described as the Ulsan-class Batch-III, although they are officially designated the Chungnam‑class.

The lead ship of the class was launched in April 2023.

South Korean Military Equipment Has Gone Global

Beyond enhancing the capabilities of the RoKN, South Korea’s efforts to develop highly advanced guided-missile frigates could aid some of its European partners. It was also reported late last month that shipbuilding giant HD HHI has tendered an offer to Denmark, which could see the Nordic maritime nation and NATO member acquire its future warships from South Korea.

Seoul has already forged partnerships to sell its K2 Black Panther main battle tanks (MBTs) and FA-50 light combat aircraft to Poland. In addition, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Romania have adopted the South Korean-made K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers.

Denmark has also received offers from European shipbuilders, but HD HHI has proposed selling four modern frigates to Denmark at costs up to 30 percent lower than those of the other offers. Moreover, the shipbuilder pledged to deliver the first ship in just three and a half years, with the Danish Navy receiving all four by 2031.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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