South Korea's Navy is considering assigning the hull numbers of two decommissioned Chamsuri-class patrol boats to next-generation high-speed ships to honor their role in Yellow Sea clashes with North Korea. Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party disclosed the plan on April 12. The boats fought in skirmishes off Yeonpyeong Island in 1999 and 2002.
Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party said on April 12 that the Navy is weighing a plan to pass the hull numbers of Chamsuri-325 and Chamsuri-357 to future Patrol Killer Medium Rockets (PKMRs). These are high-speed patrol ships equipped with precision-guided missiles.
Chamsuri-325 took part in a 1999 naval clash off Yeonpyeong Island when North Korean patrol boats crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL), South Korea's de facto maritime border. Decommissioned in 2022, it was scrapped this March due to high maintenance costs and challenges in restoring it for display, the Navy stated.
Chamsuri-357 fought in a similar 2002 skirmish and, after retiring in 2023, is now exhibited at a museum of the 2nd Fleet in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul. Yu described the move as more than just reusing numbers, calling it a way to honor a legacy of victory and commemorate fallen patriots.
