S. Korean anti-piracy unit takes part in multinational operation

South Korea's anti-piracy Cheonghae unit participated in a counter-piracy operation with armed forces from 13 other countries earlier this month, the military said Sunday.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the Cheonghae unit joined the likes of the United States, Italy, Japan and Canada in the May 14-20 operation organized by the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151.

Codenamed "Hanul," the operation involved conducting maritime patrolling and issuing anti-piracy warnings in the Middle East waters, including the Gulf of Aden, according to the JCS.

The Cheonghae unit's Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin destroyer and the Italian frigate Luigi Rizzo were deployed Wednesday, as the forces looked to establish interoperability for anti-piracy missions.

The CTF 151 also carried out a command post exercise with the CTF 465 under the European Union Naval Force, United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations and Maritime Security Centre-Horn of Africa.

South Korea took command of the CTF 151 from Brazil in February, with R. Adm. Ko Seung-bum at the helm.

Under the 34-member Combined Maritime Forces, the CTF 151 was established in 2009 with a focus on counter-piracy missions. The CTF 151 has previously been led by the United States, Britain and Japan, among others.

Source: Yonhap News Agency