Busan Naval Base

Busan Naval Base
부산 해군기지
Nam District, Busan in South Korea
Busan Naval Base is located in South Korea
Busan Naval Base
Busan Naval Base
TypeNaval base
Site information
Owner Republic of Korea Navy
Operator Republic of Korea Navy
 United States Navy
Open to
the public		No
Site history
Built16 June 2006 (2006-06-16)
In use2007 (2007)
Garrison information
OccupantsRepublic of Korea Fleet Command [ko]
United States Naval Forces Korea

The Busan Naval Base (Korean: 부산 해군기지; Hanja: 釜山海軍基地) is a group of ports and land facilities of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), located at Nam-Gu, Busan. The United States Naval Forces Korea headquarters sit within this base.[1]

The base can accommodate up to 30 vessels, including the Republic of Korea Navy Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship and the US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.[2]

History

The Busan Naval Base was completed in 5 years and 6 months from January 2001 to June 15, 2006, based on the construction cost of KRW 50 billion. 30 ships, including the Sejong the Great-class destroyers, can be anchored at port at the same time.[3]

The base became operational in 2007, when the Republic of Korea Navy relocated to Busan from Jinhae Naval Base. Among the reasons for the relocation were speed restrictions around Jinhae which slowed access to and from the base.[4]

On September 12, 2010, Admiral Seong-chan Kim, Chief of Naval Staff of the Republic of Korea, and Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, discussed a plan to relocate the U.S. Naval Command to Busan Naval Base.[5] Starting with the groundbreaking ceremony on August 29, 2013, the headquarters building with one basement level and two stories above the ground was completed in September 2015 on a site of 9040 sq. metre with an investment of approximately KRW 6.4 billion.[6][7] On 19 February 2016, the relocation from the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul was completed.[8]

United States Navy ships enter the port mainly for combined training and pilgrimage,[9] and on October 22, 2013, three Russian Navy ships (destroyer Admiral Vinogradov, salvage tug Kalar, and tanker Irkut) arrived at the naval base.[10] On December 1, 2015, the ROKN 7th Task Flotilla moved to the Jeju Naval Base.[11]

Facilities and operational units

References

  1. ^ "US naval command's new South Korea headquarters nears completion". Stars and Stripes. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Carrier USS John C. Stennis Arrives in Korea For Port Visit, Exercises". US Naval Institute. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  3. ^ "【写真】釜山作戦基地が竣工". 中央日報 - 韓国の最新ニュースを日本語でサービスします (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  4. ^ "Navy secretly moves base to Busan". Korea JoongAng Daily. 3 December 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  5. ^ "Korea-US, U.S. Naval Command in Seoul, Promotion of Relocation of Naval Base in Busan". Herald News. September 13, 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  6. ^ "주한 美해군사령부, 용산서 2015년까지 부산 이전". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 2013-08-26. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  7. ^ 민, 영규 (2013-08-29). "주한 美 해군사령부 부산 신청사 착공…2015년 이전". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  8. ^ "주한 美해군사령부 부산 이전". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  9. ^ "[사진] 부산 해군기지에 모인 한·미·영 함정". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  10. ^ "러시아 해군함정 3척, 부산작전기지 입항". 뉴스1 (in Korean). 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  11. ^ "국방부, 제주해역사 해체-> 기동전단 창설". 제주의소리 (in Korean). 2008-11-24. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  12. ^ "US naval command's new South Korea headquarters nears completion". Stars and Stripes. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  13. ^ "New Era of US, ROK Navy Alliance Begins in Busan". US Navy. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.