There are about commissioned ships in the ROK Navy. The naval aviation force consists of about 70 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Since the Korean War , the South Korean navy had concentrated its efforts on building naval forces to counteract hostilities of North Korea. As South Korea's economy grew, the ROK Navy was able to locally build larger and better equipped fleets to deter aggression, to protect the sea lines of communication , and to support the nation's foreign policy.
The main duties of the Navy shall be operations on the sea, including landing operations, and the main duties of the Marine Corps shall be landing operations, and the Navy and Marine Corps shall be formed and equipped for that purpose and shall provide education and training necessary therefor. The objectives of the ROK Navy as the main force for the national security and prosperity are: [10] [11].
Korea has a long history of naval activity. In the late 4th century during the Three Kingdoms period , Goguryeo defeated Baekje , fielding amphibious forces of 40, men in the process. In , the Balhae navy "attacked the Shandong peninsula and destroyed the biggest seaport of the Tang Empire in the east β Dengzhou.
This is reportedly the first use of shipboard guns in naval history. In and , Korean naval forces invaded Tsushima Island to suppress Japanese piracy. In the early years of the Joseon dynasty , the naval force reached its peak of 50, personnel, in order to combat the ongoing piracy issue.
During the Japanese invasions of Korea the Imjin War in the 16th century, the Korean naval force commanded by Admiral Yi Sunshin , who later became the head of the navy, cut off the invaders' naval lifeline and defeated the Japanese fleet, reversing the war in favor of Joseon. By the end of the 19th century, the Joseon navy had no significant naval force [16] other than coastal defense fortresses. In , the Joseon court requested the British Consul-General to dispatch a naval officer for organizing a naval school in an attempt to modernize the navy.
