The Navy said on the 14th that the patrol killer craft Chamsuri-325, which took part in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong in 1999 and defended the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea, has been scrapped as scrap metal.
The Navy said it considered designating Chamsuri-325 as a military asset (security exhibit) in light of its historical value, but decided to scrap it, judging that the expected effect as a security exhibit would not be significant compared with the expense required for land installation and ship restoration and maintenance.
It also took into account that there are already security exhibits for similar purposes, such as the patrol killer craft Chamsuri-357 and the First Battle of Yeonpyeong Victory Monument, and the Military Assets Deliberation Committee decided "not designated" for Chamsuri-325 in Aug. last year. Retired vessels that are not designated as military assets and are declared surplus are disposed of (sold) in accordance with relevant regulations.
The First Battle of Yeonpyeong was an incident that broke out at 9:28 a.m. on June 15, 1999, in waters west of Yeonpyeongdo, when a North Korean patrol boat violated the NLL and then opened a surprise preemptive fire on our Navy's patrol vessels.
Patrol vessels of the 2nd Fleet, including Chamsuri-325, immediately responded under the right of self-defense, sinking one North Korean torpedo boat and heavily damaging five patrol boats, thereby defending the NLL in the West Sea.
The Navy said the move "comprehensively considered the ship's aging and realistic maintenance and management constraints," adding, "We will continue to commemorate the victory of the First Battle of Yeonpyeong through security exhibits such as the 'First Battle of Yeonpyeong Victory Monument' established with the Navy's 2nd Fleet."