Korea donating warship to PH

The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) will decommission a Pohang-class corvette (PCC) warship by yearend and donate it to the Philippine Navy, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

According to the DFA, the announcement of the donation was made during a recent meeting between South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwang-jin and Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul’s Yonsan-gu. It comes at a time when the Philippines is embroiled in a heated territorial dispute with China over reefs, shoals, and islets in the West Philippine Sea.

This follows the acceptance by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of an earlier ROKN donation of a landing craft utility and 16 rubber boats.

During his meeting with Gazmin, Minister Kim said South Korea’s gesture is a small token compared with the great contribution of Filipino troops during the Korean War.

Secretary Gazmin thanked Minister Kim for South Korea’s contribution to the rehabilitation of areas devastated by super-typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in the Visayas. He said Korean soldiers based in Tacloban are much loved after establishing good rapport with the local population.

South Korea dispatched the 540-member “Araw Unit” in December, 2013, as part of its humanitarian assistance efforts to help rebuild facilities and offer medical treatment in the damaged areas in Leyte and Samar. The next batch composed of 300 soldiers is due to take over the place to replace the first group later this month.

With the recent approval by President Aquino of the terms of reference for a six-month extension of ROK’s non-combat mission, Minister Kim said South Korean troops will stay in the country until December, 2014.

Minister Kim is one of the longest-serving South Korean defense ministers after being appointed in 2010 by then President Lee Myung-bak.

He has just been appointed National Security Adviser by South Korean President Park Geun-hye and is expected to assume his new position at the presidential Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House) as soon as his successor-nominee, Han Min-koo, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), is confirmed by the National Assembly.

Minister Kim remarked at the start of their meeting that Secretary Gazmin is the defense secretary he has met with the most.

The Philippine defense secretary was on official visit to South Korea from May 29 to 31. He was accompanied by the new Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez.