Published : Dec. 16, 2021 - 17:07
This photo, provided by the defense ministry, shows new Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Jung-soo. (Defense ministry)
South Korea's new Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Jung-soo vowed Thursday to forge ahead with the Navy's long-cherished project to secure a light aircraft carrier, as he took the helm of the armed service.
Kim made the remarks amid expectations that the Navy will embark on the project to acquire the coveted vessel by 2033 next year, as the National Assembly passed a 7.2 billion won ($6.08 million) budget earlier this month to begin a process for its basic design.
"Given that a light aircraft carrier will be a national strategic asset and a culmination of inter-service operations, we will push for it without wavering," the admiral said at his inauguration ceremony at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
"We need to focus our capabilities on ensuring the balanced development of multi-dimensional forces, including the next-generation submarine, maritime surveillance aircraft and unmanned forces," he added.
The Navy has been pushing for the carrier acquisition to respond to a wide range of maritime threats, including those from North Korea, and the potential security challenges beyond its shores in a region surrounded by major maritime powers, such as China and Japan.
But a series of challenges, including budgetary issues, has dogged the project. The legislature's passage of the budget drew a sign of relief among Navy officials, as it marked a reversal of an earlier committee-level decision to drastically slash the spending proposal.
Commenting on the current security conditions on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, Kim said that there have been not only military threats from North Korea and elsewhere but also transnational and non-military challenges such as COVID-19 and disasters.
"The Navy's obligation is to defeat enemies from seas and safeguard our country's territorial waters and prop up national security and prosperity with strength," he said.
As for his missions at the helm of the Navy, the admiral catalogued a series of tasks, such as establishing across-the-board threats, building "future-oriented, elite" naval forces and running naval units "efficiently."
Kim replaced Boo Suk-jong, who had led the Navy since April last year. (Yonhap)