S. Korea takes command of multinational anti-piracy task force

Defense 15:21 February 23, 2023

SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean Navy officer has taken the rotating command of a multinational task force conducting anti-piracy operations in waters off the Horn of Africa, officials in Seoul said Thursday.

R. Adm. Ko Seung-bum assumed command of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 from Brazilian Navy R. Adm. Nelson de Oliveira Leite in a ceremony last Thursday at a U.S. naval base in Bahrain.

Under the 34-member Combined Maritime Forces, 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, Japan and others. It marks the sixth time for South Korea to lead the coalition.

"As the commander of CTF 151, I will do my best to succeed in our counter-piracy operations, whilst in close cooperation with all related entities," Ko was quoted as saying by the U.S. Navy in a release. "I will utilize the lessons the Republic of Korea Navy has accumulated operating in the Gulf of Aden."

South Korea has dispatched its Cheonghae unit on anti-piracy missions off the Somali coast since 2009.