Busan Naval Base

{{short description|Naval base of the Republic of Korea Navy}}

{{Infobox military installation

|name=Busan Naval Base

|nativename=부산 해군기지

|location=Nam District, Busan

|country=South Korea

|image=File:131105 청해부대 13진 입항 환영식-배준호 (4) (10717709876).jpg

|image2=250px

|pushpin_map=South Korea

|type=Naval base

|ownership={{navy|South Korea}}

|operator={{navy|South Korea}}
{{navy|United States}}

|open_to_public=No

|built={{Start date|2006|06|16|df=y}}

|used={{Start date|2007}}

|occupants={{ill|Republic of Korea Fleet Command|ko|해군작전사령부}}
United States Naval Forces Korea

|coordinates=

}}

The Busan Naval Base ({{Korean|hangul=부산 해군기지|hanja=釜山海軍基地}}) is a group of ports and land facilities of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), located at Nam-Gu, Busan. The United States Naval Forces Korea headquarters sit within this base.{{cite web|date=7 August 2015|title=US naval command's new South Korea headquarters nears completion|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/korea/us-naval-command-s-new-south-korea-headquarters-nears-completion-1.361891|access-date=8 September 2016|publisher=Stars and Stripes}}

The base can accommodate up to 30 vessels, including the Republic of Korea Navy Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship and the US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.{{cite web|date=14 March 2016|title=Carrier USS John C. Stennis Arrives in Korea For Port Visit, Exercises|url=https://news.usni.org/2016/03/14/carrier-uss-john-c-stennis-arrives-in-korea-for-port-visit-exercises|publisher=US Naval Institute|accessdate=8 September 2016}}

History

The Busan Naval Base was completed in 5 years and 6 months from January 2001 to June 15, 2006, based on the construction cost of KRW 50 billion. 30 ships, including the Sejong the Great-class destroyers, can be anchored at port at the same time.{{Cite web|title=【写真】釜山作戦基地が竣工|url=https://japanese.joins.com/JArticle/76850?sectcode=200&servcode=200|access-date=2022-02-19|website=中央日報 - 韓国の最新ニュースを日本語でサービスします|language=ja}}

The base became operational in 2007, when the Republic of Korea Navy relocated to Busan from Jinhae Naval Base. Among the reasons for the relocation were speed restrictions around Jinhae which slowed access to and from the base.{{cite web|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2883441|title=Navy secretly moves base to Busan|publisher=Korea JoongAng Daily|date=3 December 2007|accessdate=8 September 2016}}

On September 12, 2010, Admiral Seong-chan Kim, Chief of Naval Staff of the Republic of Korea, and Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, discussed a plan to relocate the U.S. Naval Command to Busan Naval Base.{{Cite news|date=September 13, 2013|title=Korea-US, U.S. Naval Command in Seoul, Promotion of Relocation of Naval Base in Busan|work=Herald News|url=http://biz.heraldcorp.com/view.php?ud=20100913000623|access-date=25 September 2014}} Starting with the groundbreaking ceremony on August 29, 2013, the headquarters building with one basement level and two stories above the ground was completed in September 2015 on a site of 9040 sq. metre with an investment of approximately KRW 6.4 billion.{{Cite web|date=2013-08-26|title=주한 美해군사령부, 용산서 2015년까지 부산 이전|url=https://www.hankyung.com/politics/article/201308269447g|access-date=2022-02-19|website=The Korea Economic Daily|language=ko}}{{Cite web|last=민 |first=영규|date=2013-08-29|title=주한 美 해군사령부 부산 신청사 착공…2015년 이전|url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20130829149800051|access-date=2022-02-19|website=Yonhap News Agency|language=ko}} On 19 February 2016, the relocation from the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul was completed.{{Cite web|title=주한 美해군사령부 부산 이전|url=https://news.naver.com/main/read.naver?mode=LSD&mid=sec&oid=081&aid=0002688180&sid1=001|access-date=2022-02-19|website=Naver News|language=ko}}

United States Navy ships enter the port mainly for combined training and pilgrimage,{{Cite web|date=2013-12-06|title=[사진] 부산 해군기지에 모인 한·미·영 함정|url=https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/13326495|access-date=2022-02-19|website=JoongAng Ilbo|language=ko}} and on October 22, 2013, three Russian Navy ships (destroyer Admiral Vinogradov, salvage tug Kalar, and tanker Irkut) arrived at the naval base.{{Cite web|date=2013-10-22|title=러시아 해군함정 3척, 부산작전기지 입항|url=https://www.news1.kr/articles/1371933|access-date=2022-02-19|website=뉴스1|language=ko}} On December 1, 2015, the ROKN 7th Task Flotilla moved to the Jeju Naval Base.{{Cite web|date=2008-11-24|title=국방부, 제주해역사 해체-> 기동전단 창설|url=http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=56158|access-date=2022-02-19|website=제주의소리|language=ko}}

Facilities and operational units

  • {{ill|Republic of Korea Fleet command|ko|해군작전사령부}}
  • United States Naval Forces Korea{{cite web|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/korea/us-naval-command-s-new-south-korea-headquarters-nears-completion-1.361891|title=US naval command's new South Korea headquarters nears completion|publisher=Stars and Stripes|date=7 August 2015|accessdate=8 September 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=93194|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220094914/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=93194|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2016|title=New Era of US, ROK Navy Alliance Begins in Busan |publisher=US Navy|date=19 February 2016|accessdate=8 September 2016}}

Gallery

File:US Navy 100721-N-2013O-422 Tugboats move the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) to a pier in Busan, Republic of Korea.jpg|USS George Washington being moved into dock

File:ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111).jpg|ROKS Dokdo in port

File:Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - USS Carl Vinson Sailors play soccer while in South Korea..jpg|USS Carl Vinson at Busan Naval Base

File:US Navy 160219-N-WT427-291.JPG|United States Naval Forces Korea headquarters

File:US Navy 080717-N-7032B-042 The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is moored during a scheduled port visit to Pusan, Republic of Korea.jpg|USS Ronald Reagan moored on 17 July 2008

References