Yung Jin

The Yung Jin class consists of former US Navy Adjutant-class minesweepers transferred to the Republic of Korea Navy. These vessels are designed for coastal mine countermeasures operations, capable of sweeping various types of mines.

Developed by the United States during the early Cold War to counter advanced magnetic and acoustic naval mines, these wooden-hulled vessels were constructed in large numbers for allied nations under the Mutual Defense Assistance Act. The Republic of Korea Navy acquired these minesweepers starting in 1959, commissioning them as the Yung Jin class to bolster its coastal defense and patrol capabilities. Throughout their operational life, they performed critical security duties along the maritime border and participated in numerous joint exercises to deter North Korean provocations. Having served faithfully for decades, the class was entirely decommissioned by the late 1990s as South Korea transitioned to modern, domestically produced mine countermeasures vessels.