ROK NAVAL VESSEL DEPLOYING TO SOMALI WATERS

S E C R E T SEOUL 000362 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2019 TAGS: PREL MARR MCAP KS SUBJECT: ROK NAVAL VESSEL DEPLOYING TO SOMALI WATERS Classified By: POLMC Joseph Yun for reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (U) Summary. The ROK is deploying a destroyer to the Gulf of Aden to participate in U.S.-led counterpiracy efforts. The primary mission for the destroyer, which needs National Assembly approval to extend beyond its December 31 mandate, is to escort Korean commercial vessels through a transit corridor, but the ship will also contribute to counter-terrorism efforts by inspecting stateless ships. End summary. ¶2. (U) The National Assembly on March 2 approved the dispatch of a ROK naval vessel to participate in international counterpiracy efforts in support of UN Security Council Resolution 1851 (counterpiracy). The duration of the deployment is until December 31, 2009. The National Assembly would need to extend the deployment beyond December 31. ¶3. (S) The ROK Navy is dispatching the Chung Hae (Blue Sea) Task Force, which consists of a 4,500 ton KDX-II destroyer named Munmoo the Great after the 30th king of the Silla dynasty who ruled 661-681 AD, a Lynx helicopter, three rigid hull boats, and approximately 300 personnel. The ship, which will deploy on March 12, will first sail to Bahrain (U.S. Fifth Fleet) to establish a local coordination team of one liaison officer and two staff, followed by a trip to Djibouti to establish a local coordination team of two staff and to obtain provisions. The ROK plans to reprovision the vessel at Djibouti every 15-20 days and to rotate vessels every 4-5 months. The replacement KDX-II destroyer should arrive during August. The ROK Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Park Jung Hwa will be in charge of the Chung Hae Task Force from Busan Fleet Headquarters throughout the deployment. The Chung Hae Task Force will participate in the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) led by U.S. Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, which is a part of the Combined Maritime Forces. ¶4. (S) The ROKG gave the Chung Hae Task Force a direct counterpiracy mandate, but also an indirect counter-terrorism mandate. After meeting ROK commercial vessels at a designated rendezvous point, the navy vessel will escort the commercial vessels as a group through a transit corridor (Military Security Portal Area). On February 24 Kim Keijoo, the Director of the International Security Affairs Division, said that maintaining the viability of the connector between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea for Korean shipping was a key objective of the naval deployment. During the Strategic Policy Initiative meeting in Seoul on March 2, Deputy Minister Jeon Jei-guk (Ministry of National Defense) raised the topic of how to process and prosecute captured pirates within the context of the deployment. The ROKG will participate indirectly in counter-terrorism efforts by inspecting stateless vessels and relaying the results as appropriate through the CTF-151 command structure. STEPHENS