The Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy decommissioned 8 naval vessels from active service on 28 December. The South Korea retired three Pohang-class corvettes and five Chamsuri-class patrol boats. The three corvettes will likely be donated to Southeast Asian and Latin American countries. In 2021, two corvettes were donated to Colombia and Peru. The decommissioning ceremony took place at Jinhae Naval Base in Changwon. As of today, only seven Pohang-class corvettes remain in service. They are being quickly replaced by new Daegu-class frigates.
Chamsuri-class patrol vessels are naval boats that function as patrol boats. These entered service with the Republic of Korea Navy in the 1970s, and have since seen service with three other navies, of which the Philippine Navy is currently the largest import user. These boats were built by the Hanjin Industrial SB, Chinhae, and Korea SB & Eng. Masan shipyards. The Chamsuri-class boats are being retired and replaced by Gumdoksuri-class patrol vessel in the Republic of Korea Navy.
The Pohang-class PCC (Patrol Combat Corvette) is the low-end complement of the Republic of Korea Navy under the 1st Yulgok Project (1974-1986) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Since 1984, a total of 24 Pohang-class corvettes commissioned in the Republic of Korea Navy. The decommission of the class started in 2009, and is being replaced with series of FFX program. The ship is designed for patrolling maritime border, including the Northern Limit Line, protecting the littoral zone, and combating the North Korean vessels.
As of 2022, 7 remain in service in the ROKN, and 7 were transferred to other navies. The three decommissioned corvettes are ROKS Wonju (PCC-769), ROKS Seongnam (PCC-775), and ROKS Jecheon (PCC-776), all of which are Flight-IV vessels. The five other retired vessels were fast patrol boats with hull numbers 313, 315, 317, 318 and 319, which have been in service with the navy since the 1980s. In September 2012, the Colombian Navy requested transfer of decommissioned corvette. In November 2021, representatives of the Philippine Navy visited the Jinhae naval base to examine the decommissioned Pohang-class corvette ROKS Andong (PCC-771).
