HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has rolled out the second King Jeongjo-class (KDX-III Batch II) Aegis destroyer for the Republic of Korea Navy. The 8,200-ton vessel, Dasan Jeong Yak-yong (DDG-996), commemorates a celebrated Joseon-era scholar. Its launch comes three years after the first ship, King Jeongjo the Great, entered the water in July 2022.
The ship will now enter a phase of outfitting and sea trials ahead of its expected commissioning in late 2026. South Korea plans a fleet of three King Jeongjo-class destroyers, with the first already delivered in 2024 and the third scheduled to join by 2027.
This new class represents a technological step forward from the Sejong the Great-class (KDX-III Batch I). It integrates enhanced stealth shaping, improved radar and missile detection systems, and upgraded command-and-control capabilities. At 170 meters long and 21 meters wide, each destroyer houses 300 sailors and employs a propulsion system of four gas turbines with hybrid electric drives, providing 30-knot speeds and reduced noise signatures.
The destroyer’s advanced combat loadout includes SM-3 and SM-6 surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, and the ability to launch an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. The SM-3 enables exo-atmospheric interception at ranges up to 500 kilometers, while the SM-6 strengthens defense against lower-altitude, terminal-phase threats. These capabilities make the King Jeongjo-class a vital element of South Korea’s layered “three-axis” defense strategy, designed to deter and counter North Korean ballistic missile threats.
