Changwon: The Navy announced Tuesday that it has conducted drills to practice the recommissioning of a retired warship to ensure the readiness of its reserve forces. The exercises were held at a naval base in Changwon, approximately 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and involved 119 active service members and reserve forces, along with the decommissioned 1,000-ton ROKS Namwon corvette.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the troops focused on procedures to mobilize the vessel under a wartime scenario, emphasizing measures to operate the warship's armaments and equipment. Cdr. Park Sung-hee, leader of the Reserve Ship Management Battalion, committed to continuing such drills to sustain the combat capabilities of the reserve forces.
The ROKS Namwon, which was retired from active service in 2023 after being commissioned in 1990, served the Navy for about 30 years, aligning with the typical retirement timeline for naval vessels. These drills were conducted as part of Freedom Shield, an annual joint exercise between South Korea and the United States, which is scheduled to conclude its 11-day exercise on Thursday.