South Korean shipbuilder SK Oceanplant launched ROKS Jeonnam, the third FFX Batch-III frigate for the Republic of Korea Navy, on November 25, 2025.
DAPA Press Release – Translation by Naval News
The Republic of Korea Navy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a launching ceremony for the Ulsan-class Batch-III (FFX Batch-III) frigate ROKS Jeonnam, the third ship of the batch, on the afternoon of November 25 at SK Oceanplant in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province.
ROKS Jeonnam, the third vessel in the FFX Batch-III program, will replace the Navy’s aging frigates (FF) and patrol combat corvettes (PCC), following ROKS Chungnam and ROKS Gyeongbuk.
Designed and built domestically ROKS Jeonnam was contracted to SK Oceanplant in October 2022 and, after the keel-laying and other milestones in 2024, is now being launched.
Approximately 150 guests attended the event, including National Assembly Defense Committee Chairman Sung Il-jong as the principal guest, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Kang Dong-gil, DAPA Deputy Minister Kang Hwan-seok, SK Oceanplant CEO Lee Seung-cheol, and various officials from the Navy, DAPA, and the shipbuilder. The ceremony included a program briefing, name proclamation, congratulatory remarks, and traditional launching and safe-voyage ceremony.
Following naval custom, Chairman Sung Il-jong’s spouse, Mrs. Im Sun-hee, cut the ceremonial launching rope attached to ROKS Jeonnam, symbolizing the “cutting of the umbilical cord” and giving life to the new ship. Distinguished attendees then cut multicolored ribbons and broke a champagne bottle against the hull to bless the ship’s safe service.
Chairman Sung stated in his congratulatory speech
If a threat to the Republic of Korea arises from the sea, ROKS Jeonnam and our Navy will continue the legacy of the Turtle Ship and the PC-701 Baekdusan (ROK Navy’s first surface combatant). The successful fielding of state-of-the-art vessels like ROKS Jeonnam enhances our ship design and construction capabilities, strengthens export competitiveness, and contributes significantly to the national economy.
The 3,600-ton ROKS Jeonnam measures 129 m in length, 14.8 m in beam, and 38.9 m in height. Its armament includes a 5-inch main gun, Korean Vertical Launching System (KVLS), anti-ship missile defense interceptors, anti-ship missiles, a tactical land-attack missile, and long-range anti-submarine torpedoes.
The frigate is equipped entirely with indigenous Korean combat systems, sensors, and weapons, representing the country’s advanced defense industrial capability.
A major feature is the domestically developed Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MFR), a fixed four-sided AESA radar similar in concept to Aegis SPY radars. It provides 360 degrees detection and tracking of air and surface targets and can simultaneously counter multiple aerial threats. Earlier Batch-I and Batch-II frigates relied on separate rotating surveillance and tracking radars.
ROKS Jeonnam also employs an Integrated Sensor Mast (ISM), which incorporates the phased array radar and an infrared search-and-track (IRST) system within a stealth-shaped mast.
The propulsion system uses the same hybrid diesel-electric arrangement as the Daegu-class frigates, reducing underwater radiated noise. The ship is equipped with a hull-mounted sonar (HMS) and a towed array sonar system (TASS), giving it strong anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities.
ROK Navy names its frigates after metropolitan cities and provinces; accordingly, the third Ulsan-class Batch-III ship was named ROKS Jeonnam.
The name Jeonnam has been used twice before. First by PG-86, a fast transport destroyer acquired from the U.S. Navy and commissioned in 1967. Later by FF-957, an indigenous frigate commissioned in 1989 that served for 34 years before its decommissioning in 2022. FF-957 Jeonnam took part in the 1999 First Battle of Yeonpyeong and the 2009 Daecheong Naval Battle, defending Korean territorial waters.
Acting Director of Naval Headquarters Planning and Management, Captain Lee Jang-ho remarked,
ROKS Jeonnam will serve as a front-line patrol frigate and uphold the traditions of the Navy and its predecessors. The Navy remains committed to building a technologically advanced maritime force worthy of public trust.
DAPA Deputy Minister Kang Hwan-seok stated,
The successful construction of ROKS Jeonnam demonstrates the stability of Korea’s advanced defense technologies and strengthens the foundation for maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO), and defense exports in the global market.
ROKS Jeonnam will undergo testing and evaluation and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in December 2026, after which it will be operationally deployed.
