The Republic of Korea Navy (Hangul: 대한민국 해군; Hanja: 大韓民國 海軍; Revised Romanization: Daehanminguk Haegun) or the ROK Navy (ROKN) is the branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization. The oldest service in the ROK Armed Forces, the South Korean navy celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2005.
Since the Korean War, the ROK Navy concentrated its efforts to build naval forces to counteract the North Korean navy, which has littoral naval capabilities. As South Korea's economy grew, the ROK Navy was able to build larger and better equipped fleets to deter aggression, to protect national maritime rights and to support the nation's foreign policies. As a part of its mission, the ROK Navy has engaged in several peacekeeping operations since the turn of the 21st century.
The ROK Navy has about 68,000 regular personnel including 27,000 Republic of Korea Marines (as of 2010). There are about 170 commissioned ships (with a total displacement of about 181,000 tons ) in the ROK Navy, including some 20 destroyers and frigates, 12 submarines, 100 corvettes and fast attack craft as of 2011. The naval aviation force consists of about 70 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The ROK Marine Corps has about 400 tracked vehicles including self-propelled artillery.
The ROK Navy aims to become a blue-water navy by 2020.
Read more about Republic Of Korea Navy: Duties and Objectives, Command and Organization, Personnel, Naval Engagements of The ROK Navy, Major International Activities, Equipment
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