Moon inspects Norwegian naval ship made by S. Korea

By Lee Chi-dong

BERGEN, June 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspected a Norwegian naval vessel, homeported in Bergen, Thursday, along with King Harald V.

The 26,000-ton logistics and support ship, KNM Maud, was built by South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

Cheong Wa Dae said Moon visited Norway's second-largest city, an advanced base for its maritime industry, in accordance with the nation's diplomatic protocol.

He looked around the ship at Haakonsvern Naval Base, guided by Rear Adm. Nils Andreas Stensoenes, the chief of Norway's Navy.

"By boarding the KNM Maud, a symbol of defense industry cooperation between the nations, President Moon has effectively demonstrated the superiority of South Korea's arms production capability and a resolve to expand bilateral defense industry cooperation," the presidential office said.

Ahead of the trip to the naval base, Moon had a luncheon meeting with Bergen Mayor Marte Persen.

The mayor explained that it's the Navy's largest ship with a mission to provide other vessels with fuel and other needed goods, thus playing an optimal role in protecting the border and safety of Norway and the European Union.

Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook also toured Troldhaugen, the home of composer Edvard Grieg which now serves a museum for him.

The president's visit to Bergen was the last official activity in his three-day state visit to the Scandinavian nation.

lcd@yna.co.kr
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