Jinhae: The ROKS Jang Bogo, South Korea's first naval submarine, will retire at the end of the year after 34 years in service, the Navy announced on Wednesday. The submarine, weighing 1,200 tons, will embark on a farewell cruise from a naval port in the southeastern city of Jinhae, carrying both the first and last captains of the vessel aboard.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the submarine was launched at a HDW shipyard in Germany in 1991 and was acquired by the South Korean Navy the following year. It is named after a legendary ninth-century maritime explorer and trader from the Unified Silla Kingdom. Since 1992, the ROKS Jang Bogo has sailed approximately 633,000 kilometers, a distance equivalent to circling the globe 15 times.

As a pioneering vessel for the country's naval capabilities, the ROKS Jang Bogo participated in significant submarine warfare drills, including the South Korea-U.S. Silent Shark exercise and the multinational Pacific Reach submarine rescue exercise. Since last year, it has been primarily used for training crew members and conducting maintenance workshops.

In efforts to enhance maritime capabilities, the Navy has recently launched the first of three 3,600-ton homegrown naval attack submarines, which is expected to be delivered by the end of 2027. Furthermore, the Navy has already commissioned 3,000-ton submarines for active service.