Anti-piracy mission destroyer to attend int'l naval exhibition

SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean destroyer set to replace its
predecessor fighting piracy in Somali waters will stop by Malaysia later this
month to join an international naval exhibition, the Navy here said Thursday.
The Yi Sun Shin is scheduled to leave a South Korean naval base on Friday and
expected to arrive in the Gulf of Aden in late December, the South Korean Navy
said in a statement.
The 4,500-ton destroyer will soujourn in Malaysia from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4 to
attend the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition along with
another South Korean ship, it said.
The destroyer is set to replace the Dae Jo Yeong operating with 300 troops
onboard under a U.S.-led multinational anti-piracy drive in the Gulf of Aden.
The unit, known as Cheonghae, has operated off the Somali coast since April this
year, mainly protecting South Korean vessels.
Approximately 500 South Korean ships ply the Gulf of Aden each year. About 150 of
them are vulnerable to pirate attacks because of their low speed, according to
the defense ministry in Seoul.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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