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SEOUL : South Korea on Wednesday launched its newest attack submarine, amid tensions with North Korea over their disputed sea border.
The 1,800-ton diesel-electric submarine, the second of its size in the fleet, was launched at a Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in the southeastern city of Ulsan.
The submarine is named "Jeongji" after a Korean military officer of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) who won victories against the Japanese. It will be commissioned late next year.
"Jeongji's launch is another feat showing our will to maintain self-reliant defence and strengthen military capability," said Defence Minister Kim Jang-Soo.
South Korea is planning a blue-water fleet to keep pace with regional naval build-ups. Last month it launched its first Aegis destroyer, a warship equipped with advanced air and sea weaponry and built at a cost of one billion dollars.
President Roh Moo-Hyun said at the Aegis launch that "Northeast Asia is still in an arms race, and we cannot just sit back and watch."
On Tuesday North Korea, for the third time in less than a month, accused South Korean warships of intruding into its territorial waters in the Yellow Sea and raising tensions.
The accusations were rejected by Seoul, which on Wednesday responded by accusing North Korea of an incursion.
The South's navy command warned it was ready to "sternly deal with any provocation" off the west coast, the scene of bloody clashes in recent years.
The North has insisted on redrawing the Northern Limit Line, a maritime border drawn up by United Nations forces at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
The 65.3-metre Jeongji, developed in partnership with Germany's Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, can carry more than 40 crew.
It is equipped with torpedoes, mines, anti-warship guided missiles and the Air Independent Propulsion system to enhance underwater operational capability.
South Korea also has several older diesel-electric submarines, made by the German firm.
It plans to launch its third 1,800-ton submarine next year and aims to develop nine 3,000-ton submarines from 2010 to 2021 with its own technology. - AFP/de
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