SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - A South Korean Navy squadron carrying about 140 cadets on Friday embarked on a roughly 130-day voyage to seven countries across the Pacific Ocean for practical naval training and to strengthen defense cooperation abroad.
About 390 people, including cadets, crew members and support personnel, boarded the 4,500-ton training ship Hansando. The ship is scheduled to return to Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province on Jan. 22 next year after a roughly 50,000-kilometer voyage, making port calls in Hawaii, Pensacola and Baltimore in the United States, as well as Guam, Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala, Balboa in Panama, Callao in Peru, Valparaiso in Chile, Papeete in Tahiti and Suva in Fiji.
The cadets will undergo a range of naval training including battle drills and tactical exercises. They will also visit military facilities and historic sites in the countries where they make stops to gain practical skills and strengthen their capabilities as future naval officers.
The squadron will also use the voyage to strengthen military ties with partner countries. At four U.S. ports, including those in Hawaii and Baltimore, Korean War veterans and their families as well as local South Korean residents will be invited aboard the ship for a Korean War-themed photo exhibition and other events.
Pensacola, Florida, home to major U.S. Navy education and training facilities, will be a first-time port of call for the Navy's cruise training program. The squadron plans to conduct exchanges with the U.S. Navy there to further strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
In particular, it will mark the first time for the training squadron to make a port call to Pensacola, Florida, home to major U.S. Navy training facilities, further strengthening the bilateral alliance with the U.S.
The visits to Peru and Chile will be the first since 2012. During the stops, the squadron will showcase military equipment from South Korean defense companies to promote Korean defense products and support the government's efforts to boost arms exports.
Brig. Gen. Kim Jun-yeop, who is leading the training squadron, said, "All members of the squadron will unite as one and faithfully carry out our missions until we return safely home."
About 30 students majoring in military studies at Sejong University, Chungnam National University and Hanyang University also joined the voyage, along with two Guatemalan naval officers and one Chilean naval officer.
AJP Takeaways
- A South Korean Navy training squadron carrying about 140 cadets began a roughly 130-day voyage on September 11, 2026, visiting seven countries and 10 ports across the Pacific Ocean for practical naval training and defense cooperation.
- The 4,500-ton training ship Hansando will sail about 50,000 kilometers before returning to Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on January 22, 2027, with stops in the United States, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Chile, Tahiti and Fiji.
- The voyage will combine naval training with military diplomacy and defense promotion, including exchanges with the U.S. Navy in Pensacola, visits to Peru and Chile for the first time since 2012, and displays of South Korean defense equipment to support the country's defense exports.
About 390 people, including cadets, crew members and support personnel, boarded the 4,500-ton training ship Hansando. The ship is scheduled to return to Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province on Jan. 22 next year after a roughly 50,000-kilometer voyage, making port calls in Hawaii, Pensacola and Baltimore in the United States, as well as Guam, Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala, Balboa in Panama, Callao in Peru, Valparaiso in Chile, Papeete in Tahiti and Suva in Fiji.
The cadets will undergo a range of naval training including battle drills and tactical exercises. They will also visit military facilities and historic sites in the countries where they make stops to gain practical skills and strengthen their capabilities as future naval officers.
The squadron will also use the voyage to strengthen military ties with partner countries. At four U.S. ports, including those in Hawaii and Baltimore, Korean War veterans and their families as well as local South Korean residents will be invited aboard the ship for a Korean War-themed photo exhibition and other events.
Pensacola, Florida, home to major U.S. Navy education and training facilities, will be a first-time port of call for the Navy's cruise training program. The squadron plans to conduct exchanges with the U.S. Navy there to further strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
In particular, it will mark the first time for the training squadron to make a port call to Pensacola, Florida, home to major U.S. Navy training facilities, further strengthening the bilateral alliance with the U.S.
The visits to Peru and Chile will be the first since 2012. During the stops, the squadron will showcase military equipment from South Korean defense companies to promote Korean defense products and support the government's efforts to boost arms exports.
Brig. Gen. Kim Jun-yeop, who is leading the training squadron, said, "All members of the squadron will unite as one and faithfully carry out our missions until we return safely home."
About 30 students majoring in military studies at Sejong University, Chungnam National University and Hanyang University also joined the voyage, along with two Guatemalan naval officers and one Chilean naval officer.
AJP Takeaways
- A South Korean Navy training squadron carrying about 140 cadets began a roughly 130-day voyage on September 11, 2026, visiting seven countries and 10 ports across the Pacific Ocean for practical naval training and defense cooperation.
- The 4,500-ton training ship Hansando will sail about 50,000 kilometers before returning to Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on January 22, 2027, with stops in the United States, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Chile, Tahiti and Fiji.
- The voyage will combine naval training with military diplomacy and defense promotion, including exchanges with the U.S. Navy in Pensacola, visits to Peru and Chile for the first time since 2012, and displays of South Korean defense equipment to support the country's defense exports.
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