HD Hyundai Heavy Industries held a signing ceremony for the delivery of the 8,200-ton King Jeongjo-class destroyer. Representatives from seven countries, including the U.S. and Poland, attended the event, highlighting Team Korea’s concerted effort to expand the export of Korean defense products.
The signing ceremony took place on the 27th at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ headquarters in Ulsan, marking the handover of the first vessel of the next-generation Aegis destroyers (KDX-III Batch-II), named King Jeongjo. Attendees included key figures such as Cho Hyun-ki, Head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s Infrastructure Power Division, and Gwak Gwang-seop, Navy Headquarters Planning and Management Planning Officer, among others. Notably, Nolan Barkhouse, U.S. Consul General in Busan, Troy Suarez, Ecuadorian Ambassador to South Korea, and Artur Grzywaczewski, Chargé d’Affaires of Poland in South Korea, were present, with a total of around 20 government officials from seven countries.
There is potential for expanded defense exports with countries like Poland and Peru, and collaborations with the U.S. are being considered in the defense sector for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services.
The King Jeongjo-class ship, independently designed and built with domestic technology, is equipped with advanced Aegis combat systems, multifunction phased array radar, an integrated sonar system, and the Korean vertical launch system, along with ballistic missile interception capabilities. Following its construction contract with DAPA in 2019, the ship began construction in 2021, launched in July 2022, and passed over 550 trial evaluations before being delivered to the Navy.
This marks another on-time delivery by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, following the earlier successes of the Chuncheon and Cheonan frigates and the Shin Chae-ho submarine. The company is in the final stages of preparing the second King Jeongjo-class vessel for launch next year and started construction of the third vessel in October of this year. Additionally, they have begun joint development for patrol ships for the Philippines and four vessels for Peru.
Joo Won-ho, Head of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Special Ship Division, expressed his satisfaction in delivering a world-class ship through close collaboration with defense agencies and emphasized their commitment to promoting K-defense exports.