S. Korean Navy says light carrier is crucial to protecting national interest

Some have referred to the light aircraft carrier project as a "money pit" due to the budget demands

South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during an annual ceremony on March 26 for South Korean soldiers killed in three major clashes with North Korea in the Yellow Sea. In the speech, Moon said that “the 30,000-ton light aircraft carrier will be built with world-class [South Korean] shipbuilding technology.” (provided by the Blue House)

The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) responded to concerns that a 30,000-ton light aircraft carrier expected to be completed by 2033 will be co-opted for the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy and used in the effort to contain China.

In its response, the ROKN stressed that apart from any question of participation in the US strategy toward China, it was “tremendously important to possess the capabilities.”

“In terms of national policy, the options available to a government diversify when its navy possesses strength,” it said.

Meeting with reporters covering the South Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND), the ROKN held a briefing Wednesday on the introduction of the light aircraft carrier, explaining the project’s progress to date and future plans.

“Once the project starts after passing through the preparation process with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s development of a project pursuit framework strategy and a feasibility study by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, it will go through a design and building stage lasting 12 to 13 years,” an ROKN official said.

“A light aircraft carrier will deter provocations by North Korea and would help us achieve an early victory in a wartime situation while protecting maritime sovereignty and national interests during peacetime,” the official explained.

While the light aircraft carrier project has been a major focus for the ROKN, some have referred to the effort as a “money pit” due to the budget demands, including 2 trillion won (US$1.78 billion) for construction and vast additional operational costs.

Responding to these concerns, the ROKN said, “The light aircraft carrier takes 12 to 13 years to build, so the budget will be spread out, and the pure maintenance costs will only be in the range of 50 billion won (US$44 million) per year.”

When asked whether the ROKN was considering using nuclear power for the carrier’s engine, the official replied, “We’ve decided on conventional propulsion.”

A bigger issue is the possibility that once South Korea does introduce the carrier, it will end up being used militarily as part of the China containment effort that the US hopes to pursue through its trilateral alliance with South Korea and Japan. In its explanation, the ROKN did not deny that the carrier would be venturing into waters far from the Korean Peninsula to conduct operations.

In informational materials shared the same day under the title “Light Aircraft Carrier: A Historical Mission to Serve the State and Public,” the ROKN included details about the situation in the South China Sea, where the US and China are currently engaged in a fierce tug-of-war.

Japan, which previously introduced its own 20,000-ton light aircraft carrier, has been dispatching its Izumo and Kaga carriers to the South China Sea and Indian Ocean for combined military exercises with the US. The two carriers play a pivotal role in providing Japanese military support for the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy vision — a strategy targeting China.

Commenting on these concerns, an ROKN official said, “The operating of military force is a sovereign decision for an individual country to make.”

“I see the fears that the aircraft carrier will end up co-opted into the US’ national strategy as being unwarranted,” the official added.

“The Navy is well aware of those concerns and plans to speak out so that things do not go in that direction,” they continued.

By Gil Yun-hyung, staff reporter

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