Navy to build new base on East Sea's Ulleung Island

South Korea plans to start building a naval base next year on Ulleung Island, the closest territory to the nation's easternmost islets of Dokdo, a lawmaker said Wednesday, to protect the group from ongoing Japanese territorial claims. Once completed in 2015, the "forward-deployment" naval base will be capable of providing anchorage for the 14,000-ton Dokdo amphibious landing ship and high-tech Aegis destroyers, said Rep. Chung Mee-Kyung of the ruling Grand National Party. The deployment will mean South Korean warships can reach Dokdo faster than vessels from Japanese bases in case of any emergency, Chung said. "The decision paves the way to firmly protect Dokdo," Chung said. "I will closely monitor progress to help complete building the naval base as scheduled." Citing data from the government, Chung said South Korea plans to spend a total of 352 billion won (US$299.8 million) to build the base at Sadong Port on Ulleung, which is located about 120 kilometers east of the Korean Peninsula. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs will provide 217.5 billion won of the cost, while the remainder will be funded by the defense ministry, the lawmaker said. Officials from the two ministries could not be immediately reached for comments. Early this year, South Korea's Navy said it is considering deploying new frigates to the planned port on Ulleung. The Navy is scheduled to receive a first batch of 2,300-2,500 ton frigates next year under a naval buildup project code-named "FFX." By 2018, a total of 20 new frigates will be put into service for anti-air and anti-submarine duties. Japan's attempt to lay claim to Dokdo has long been a source of diplomatic tensions with South Korea, which sees the claim as a sign that Japan has not fully repented for its 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea has rejected Japan's claims over Dokdo because the country reclaimed sovereignty over its territory, including Dokdo and many other islands around the Korean Peninsula, when it regained independence. Since 1954, South Korea has stationed a small police detachment on Dokdo.