Three state-of-the-art EGIS destroyers—the Jeongjo the Great, Jeong Yak-yong, and Kim Jong-seo—gathered in one place. They assembled at the Ulsan shipyard for construction, sea trial evaluation, and warranty repairs.
According to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries on the 22nd, on the 19th, three Jeongjo the Great-class EGIS destroyers—the Jeongjo the Great, Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, and Daeho Kim Jong-seo—built or under construction by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries gathered at the company's Ulsan shipyard.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries designated the day as "EGIS destroyer day" and invited the captains of the three EGIS ships to express gratitude.
In 2024, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries built the first Jeongjo the Great-class EGIS destroyer, the Jeongjo the Great, and delivered it to the Navy. The second ship, the Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, which is currently undergoing sea trial evaluations, was launched in Dec. last year. It is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in Dec. this year. The Daeho Kim Jong-seo is currently under construction at the Ulsan shipyard and is planned to be delivered to the Navy in Dec. 2027 after launching and sea trial evaluations.
The state-of-the-art Jeongjo the Great-class EGIS destroyer is a top-tier warship, measuring 170 meters long and 21 meters wide, with a light displacement of 8,200 tons (t) and a maximum speed of 30 knots (about 55 km/h). Compared with the existing Sejong the Great class (7,600 t class), its target detection and tracking capability has more than doubled, and with added interception functions, it is regarded as a core asset of the "sea-based three-axis system" that responds to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' capability to build EGIS destroyers has drawn attention overseas. In Apr. and Nov. last year, U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan and U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Daryl Caudle boarded the Jeongjo the Great and the Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, respectively, expressing strong interest in HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' warship technology and production capacity.
On the day, Ju Won-ho, president of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (head of naval and medium ship business), invited the three captains—Col. Jo Wan-hee of the Jeongjo the Great, Col. Gu Bon-cheol of the Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, and Col.-select Jang Hyeon-do of the Daeho Kim Jong-seo—to the guest house inside the shipyard for a luncheon meeting.
President Ju Won-ho discussed naval defense with the three captains and expressed gratitude to the Navy for its dedication to strengthening K-naval defense competitiveness.
President Ju Won-ho said, "I am very pleased and find it meaningful that three state-of-the-art EGIS destroyers, built with the world's best technology, have all gathered at the Ulsan yard," adding, "This is a symbolic scene showing the stature of Korea's naval defense on its 50th anniversary."
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is the only domestic shipbuilder that led the basic design of the nation's existing state-of-the-art EGIS ships (Sejong the Great class, Jeongjo the Great class) and possesses world-class technology in the warship field. Starting with research and development of the Ulsan, Korea's first domestically built warship, in 1976, it built all Ulsan-class frigates Batch-I, II, and III. Through this year, it has built a total of 108 warships and special vessels and has exported the most warships domestically, at 20.