Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. today launched South Korea’s first home-made 4,500-ton amphibious landing ship. The ship named Cheonwangbong, after the highest peak of Mount Jiri, was developed and built with indigenous technology.
The launching ceremony was held in Hanjin’s shipyard in the southern port city of Busan, which was attended by Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, the Navy’s Chief of Staff, and Lee Ho-yeon, the Commander of the Marine Corps, as well as company and government officials, reports Yonhap.
The 4,500-ton ship is the first of the South Korean Navy’s next-generation landing ships and its commissioning is scheduled for the second half of 2015.
The vessel, capable of transporting both troops and tanks, is 126 meters long and 19 meters wide, with a maximum speed of 23 knots.
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World Maritime News Staff, September 12, 2013