South Korea Launches New Fleet Command Amid Rising North Korean Threats

South Korean warship fleet. (Wikimedia Commons/)

JAKARTA - The South Korean Navy launched a new fleet command that will operate several destroyers, including those equipped with the Aegis fighter system last month in a bid to respond to North Korea's military threats at sea better.

"The Commander of the Fleet Task Force of the Republic of Korea, the core unit of the maritime three-axis system against the threat of North Korea's nuclear and missile, which also protects the country's maritime transportation route, was launched on February 1," the Navy said in a release, quoted from The Korea Times March 14.

The inauguration ceremony of the Task Fleet Command was held at the Jeju Naval Base, Gangjeong, the southern coast of Jeju Island, quoted from The Korea Herald.

"The Task Fleet Command will serve as a central unit to prevent and respond to North Korea's provocation at sea and proactively prepare for the emerging threat," said Admiral Yang Yong-mo, Chief of Naval Operations, during the ceremony.

The maritime three-axis system refers to a maritime version of the military's three-branch prevention structure consisting of the Kill Chain, Korea's Massive Punishment and Retaliation, as well as the Korea Air and Missile Defense.

In the event of a state of emergency, the command will send a main destroyer into the sea near the Northern Border Line, a de facto inter-Korean maritime border, and detect and intercept North Korean missiles while carrying out precision strikes on core targets, according to the Navy.

The plan is for the new command to operate 10 destroyers and four aid ships, including the destroyer Jeongjo The Great (DDG-995) weighing 8,200 tonnes equipped with the latest radar avoidance and Aegis combat system, according to the Navy.

The ships built under South Korea's next-generation destroyer project, known as KDDX, will also be assigned to the new command once completed, the Navy added.

Based on the Jeju Naval Base, the new fleet is designed for flexible operations throughout the maritime region, while the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Fleet of the Navy operates in designated areas -- the East, West and South seas. The fleet will also carry out expanded operations in the wider sea beyond South Korea's maritime limits.

Vice Admiral Kim In-ho has been appointed commander of the Task Fleet Command.

"The fleet commander will serve as the main strategic unit, safeguarding South Korea's maritime sovereignty and interests wherever and whenever needed," said Vice Admiral Kim.

"If there is a conflict, we will ensure tremendous strength to secure victory," he added.