CTF 74 visits Republic of Korea, strengthening 70-year alliance

CHINHAE, Republic of Korea – Rear Adm. Rick Seif, commander, Submarine Group 7/Task Force (CTF) 74, visited the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy Submarine Force Command (CSF) in Chinhae, ROK to discuss future opportunities for bilateral cooperation and tour the facility’s undersea warfare assets, Jan. 25-26.

"It is great to be back in Chinhae meeting with our ROK Navy submarine force Allies and seeing their impressive undersea capabilities firsthand," said Seif. "For 70 years, our Alliance has been ironclad, and I look forward to our continued work together supporting regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."

The U.S.-ROK Alliance was established in 1953. Since then, the Alliance has proven strong and durable in the face of new global conditions and is among the most interoperable, capable, and dynamic bilateral alliances in the world.

During the visit, Seif met with ROK Navy Rear Adm. Suyoul Lee, commander, Submarine Force, to further enhance the close relationship between the two naval forces.

“While this year marks the 70th anniversary of ROK-US Alliance, CSF and CTF 74 have an established, watertight cooperation system-- carrying out critical roles, and supporting regional security and combined defense postures," said Lee. "We are further reinforcing the mutual cooperation between CSF and CTF 74 and improving our combined operational and ASW capabilities."

During the trip, Seif also toured the CSF watchfloor, the CSF shipyard and the attack submarine ROKS Dosan ahn Changho (SS-083), enhancing understanding of ROKN capabilities in submarine maintenance, operations, and training.

Submarine Group 7 directs forward-deployed, combat capable forces across the full spectrum of undersea warfare throughout the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea.

For more news from Commander, Submarine Group 7, visit the website.