South Korean destroyer to dock in central Vietnam

By Nguyen Dong   September 8, 2018 | 05:00 pm PT
A four-day Vietnam visit by a South Korean naval destroyer will see activities aimed at boosting bilateral defense ties.

ROKS Moon Mu the Great (DDH-976), a South Korean Navy's destroyer, will dock in the central city of Da Nang next week, beginning a four-day visit to Vietnam.

The city’s information department said the warship, which will dock at the Tien Sa Port from September 11-14, will be carrying a crew of 302 officers and sailors headed by Captain Doh Jin Woo.

Following a welcoming ceremony, South Korean ambassador to Vietnam Kim Do-hyun and members of the South Korean community in Da Nang would be given a tour of the ship. A press conference will also be held on board the destroyer.

During their stay in Da Nang, the ship's officers will meet with the city's leaders and commanders of the High Command of Vietnam's Naval Region 3. Joint exercises and other activites will be held.

The ship’s crew will also travel and explore Da Nang.

On September 14, the destroyer will leave the Tien Sa Port and participate in a joint team formation and communication exercise with the Vietnamese Navy.

The joint exercise aims to promote defense cooperation between the two countries and help strengthen regional unity in the maintenance of security, safety and freedom of navigation, the information department said.

This will be the second visit by a South Korean naval ship to Da Nang, following the visit by destroyer ROKS Kang Gam Chan (DDH-979) and combat support ship ROKS Hwacheon (AOE-59) in September 2017.

South Korean naval ships dock at Tien Sa Port in Da Nang in September 2017. Photo by Nguyen Dong

South Korean naval ships dock at Tien Sa Port in Da Nang in September 2017. Photo by Nguyen Dong

ROKS Moon Mu the Great is a Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer commissioned in 2004. The ship is 150 meters (492 feet) long with a beam of 17.4 meters, draft of 9.5 meters, displacement of 4,400 tons and a maximum speed of 30 knots (35 miles per hour) with a range of 10,200 kilometers.

The destroyer is equipped with an advanced naval radar system and armed with a wide range of armament including torpedoes, cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles.

 
 
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