The South Korean Navy has established a new command to counter missile threats from North Korea.

This was reported by Yonhap, as conveyed by Ukrinform.

Currently, the command is overseeing 10 destroyers and four auxiliary vessels, including the latest South Korean destroyer, the 8,200-ton "Chongjo Great," which features radar-evading technology and is armed with powerful guided missiles and the cutting-edge Aegis multi-functional air and missile defense system.

The newly established command will also include ships that are currently under construction as part of the national next-generation destroyer project KDDX, employing exclusively South Korean technologies, ranging from hull design and combat systems to modern radars (RLS) and armaments.

It is expected that, in the event of an emergency, the destroyers under this command will be dispatched to the northern demarcation line, the de facto maritime border between the Koreas, where they will be capable of intercepting North Korean missiles or delivering precision missile strikes on critical targets within North Korea.

It is noted that the new Navy command is part of a broader three-component system designed to deter nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, which consists of a preemptive strike platform known as Kill Chain in case of confirmed imminent attack from North Korea, a comprehensive air and missile defense system, and a component of "mass punishment and retaliation," which includes units and formations of the country's armed forces to counter any invasion.

As reported by Ukrinform, the new U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held his first phone conversations on Friday morning with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, assuring them of Washington's commitment to bilateral security agreements with Seoul and Tokyo.

Photo: Yonhap