S. Korean naval commander heads to US to promote cooperation in Aegis

(ATTN: This article is embargoed until 22:00 KST)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top naval officer left Friday for the
United States to inspect a training center for those manning high-tech combat
destroyers and meet with senior U.S. commanders, an official said.
The eight-day trip by Navy Chief of Staff Jung Ok-keun comes as South Korea moves
to dispatch its Aegis destroyer under a U.N.-led campaign to Somali waters where
piracy remains an international concern.
The destroyer, commissioned last month as part of a multi-billion-dollar defense
project, can detect and defeat over 1,000 targets of all types within a
500-kilometer radius, and requires specially trained operation staff.
A Navy official who declined to be named citing policy said about 10 South
Koreans are undergoing training at an Aegis-related center in Virginia, which
Jung plans to visit during his trip.
"He will seek support and cooperation in a variety of programs related to
training and system operation," the official said, declining to elaborate.
The Ministry of National Defense said Jung will also meet with top U.S.
commanders, including his counterpart Gary Roughead and Mike Mullen, chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and discuss military ties between the two countries.
South Korea and the U.S. fought on the same side in the 1950-53 Korean War that
ended in a truce instead of a peace treaty. Their alliance is one of the
longest-running in the world, and the sides are preparing to transfer the wartime
operational control of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul by 2012.
South Korea, the world's fifth nation to introduce the advanced destroyer, plans
to commission its second Aegis destroyer next year. The third is under
construction. Aegis refers to an invincible shield in Greek mythology.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)