Aegis class destroyer ready for naval duty

With President Roh Moo-hyun watching, South Korea’s first Aegis class destroyer was launched yesterday, significantly upgrading the Navy’s combat capability against a backdrop of increased military spending in Northeast Asia. The King Sejong, a 7,600 ton Aegis class destroyer built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, is a step toward giving Korea the ability to protect sea lanes far from the territorial waters of the country. Roh, who is an advocate of upgrading military power, said, “You cannot protect the peace if you do not have your own combat capability. We have to be able to protect ourselves. The Aegis is a symbol of such ability.” The launch coincides with an ongoing buildup of military forces in China, which has been steadily increasing military spending. China is reportedly pushing ahead with the construction of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier scheduled to be operational by 2020 and it is said to be developing its own fighter aircraft with stealth capability. Some observers worry that China, South Korea and Japan could soon embark on a full-fledged arms race as the United States encourages Japan to counter China’s growing power. Tokyo has asked the United States to sell it the F-22 Raptor, the most sophisticated fighter jet in the world. In March, Japan deployed its first ballistic missile interceptors to bolster its defenses against missile threats posed by North Korea. Cha Seung-ju, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, said that the Aegis will upgrade the Navy’s ability but that making a comparison with China and Japan’s naval power is premature. “This is good for protecting our sea lanes and projecting military power in the case of peacekeeping missions,” said the analyst. “It’s a start.” The Defense Ministry has said that the King Sejong will be similar to ships deployed by the United States and Japan. The ship’s technology and weapons systems are able to identify and track up to 900 targets at the same time. With an estimated budget of 3 trillion won ($ 3.2 billion) the Navy plans to field a total of three Aegis class ships. Meanwhile, North Korea accused the United States, Japan and South Korea of being Asia’s biggest security threats and pledged to give up its nuclear weapons only if missiles targeting the North are removed by the three countries, according to the Associated Press on Thursday. North Korea made the charges in a paper given to an ASEAN Regional Forum in a closed meeting Thursday, but said it still welcomes talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, the Associated Press reported. By Brian Lee Staff Writer / Kim Min-seok JoongAng Ilbo http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/africanu@joongang.co.kr