SEOUL-- The South Korean Navy has decided to name its first 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer after King Jeongjo the Great, a Navy official said Sunday.
The Navy held a meeting of a committee naming vessels and chose King Jeongjo the Great for the KDX-III Batch-II Aegis destroyer on April 29, according to the Navy official.
The Navy is expected to hold the launching ceremony of the King Jeongjo the Great destroyer in the third quarter, with the delivery set for 2024. It will be the Navy's fourth Aegis destroyer after King Sejong the Great, the Yulgok YiYi and the Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong.
Heavier than the 7,600-ton Sejong, the new-generation warship can move at speeds of up to 30 knots, or 55 kilometers per hour, which is compatible with the U.S. Navy's most powerful Aegis destroyer fleet.
King Jeongjo the Great is likely to be fitted with Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) missiles with a range of 240-460 kilometers that can help defend South Korea against the threats posed by North Korea's ballistic missiles.
In April, South Korea approved a 760 billion-won (US$594 million) project to procure the missiles developed by U.S. defense firm Raytheon Technologies Corp. through the U.S. Foreign Military Sale program by 2031.
King Jeongjo, considered one of the most visionary and effective monarchs of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), achieved a cultural and industrial renaissance during his 24 years on the throne.
Source: Yonhap News Agency