On 27 November, the JEONGJO THE GREAT missile destroyer, the lead unit of the programme known as KDX-III Batch 2, was handed over to the South Korean Navy. The ceremony was attended by representatives of government agencies participating in the programme, and government representatives from the United States, Poland, Morocco, Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Thailand.

The JEONGJO THE GREAT, equipped with the AEGIS combat management system (CMS), will be central elements of the national anti-aircraft/anti-missile defence system. Unlike the previous SEJONG THE GREAT class (referred to as KDX-III BATCH 1), the JEONGJO THE GREAT possess ballistic missile defence capabilities and have enhanced anti-submarine and anti-ship capabilities. Weapon systems include the SM-2, SM-3 and SM-6 long-range surface-to-air missiles (which can be launched from the Mk-41 VLS and used to intercept ballistic missiles) and the domestically produced HAERYONG anti-ship ballistic missiles, which are employed by the K-VLS II launchers (from which other categories of surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles can be employed).

These new vessels have an overall length of 170 m, a width of 21 m and a displacement at full load of about 12,000 t; propulsion is entrusted to a COGLAG system, which includes 2 electric motors (1.7 MW each) and 4 LM 2500 gas turbines, for a maximum speed of 30 knots. All the 3 vessels envisaged in the KDX-III BATCH 2 programme are built in the Ulsan shipyard of South Korean Hyundai Heavy Industries, where construction of the third and last unit began on 17 October: it is scheduled to be commissioned in 2027, while the second example, still under construction, will enter into service in 2026.

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