Korea appoints first female Navy commanders

By Lee Tae-hoon

The Navy has appointed its first two female officers to command fast attack craft as parts of efforts to guarantee equal opportunities for promotion regardless of gender, officials said Monday.

“We named Capts. Hong Yu-jin, 34, and Ahn Hyo-ju, 31, as the first female commanding officers of high-speed patrol vessels,” they said, noting that they will captain 150-ton Chamsuri-class patrol vessels.

The officials said they will be responsible for commanding the boats patrolling waters off the Navy's Jinhae Base, about 410 kilometers south of Seoul.