South Korea launches final KDX-III Batch II destroyer
The future ROKS Daeho Kim Jong-seo , the third and final KDX-III Batch II destroyer. (HD Hyundai Heavy Industries)
South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has launched the third and final destroyer under its KDX-III Batch II programme, the company announced in a press release issued on 30 September.
The vessel took to the water on the same day at its Ulsan shipyard, the press release noted.
It will be in service as ROKS Daeho Kim Jong-seo once commissioned, and the vessel is now scheduled to undergo sea trials before delivery to the RoKN in December 2027, the company added.
The launch marks the culmination of the KDX-III Batch II programme, which comprises three next-generation Aegis-equipped destroyers.
The lead ship in the batch, Jeongjo Daewang, was commissioned in November 2024, while the second vessel, Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, was launched in September 2025.
Daeho Kim Jong-seo has an overall length of 170 m, a beam of 21 m, a light displacement of approximately 8,200 tonnes, and is capable of speeds of up to 30 kt.
The warship is fitted with an Aegis combat system, and it has been designed to provide enhanced ballistic missile-defence capabilities.
In its press release, HHI stated that the vessel incorporates a ballistic missile response system that enables it to undertake interception missions that are not available on the earlier KDX-III destroyers.
No explicit mention of the interceptor was given by HHI, but the company is most certainly referring to the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), a weapon not incorporated on the first batch of destroyers in the KDX-III class.
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