Egypt to receive South Korean naval vessel

Egypt will receive at least one South Korean naval vessel, the Egyptian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 15 September.

Egyptian Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi (centre) is seen on a Po Hang-class corvette at Jinhae Naval Base. (Egyptian Ministry of Defence)

The MoD said that, during a visit to South Korea to boost bilateral co-operation, Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi had inspected “one of the naval pieces that will be joining the Egyptian Armed Forces in the future and met the Egyptian technical crews that are training on it”.

The MoD did not identify the vessel, but released a photograph showing Sobhi on a Po Hang-class corvette docked at Jinhae Naval Base.

The Republic of Korea Navy had 24 Po Hang-class corvettes that entered service between 1984 and 1993. One was sunk in a suspected North Korean submarine attack and seven have been decommissioned to date, with four of those yet to find new homes.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Sobhi’s visit on 11 September, saying that the Egyptian defence minister had stated that his country has already severed all ties with Pyongyang and that Egypt will actively co-operate against North Korean acts that threaten peace and stability.

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