Two Republic of Korea Navy ships pay visit to Montreal
News Release
November 17, 2015
Montreal, QC — On November 16 and 17, two Republic of Korea (ROK) ships visited Montreal, participating in exchange activities between the ROK Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Rear-Admiral Gilles Couturier, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific and sailors from Naval Reserve Division Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Donnacona represented the RCN.
The visiting ships, the Republic of Korea’s destroyer ROKS Kang Gam Chan and logistical support ship ROKS Dae Chung, arrived earlier in the week with a combined 623 officers and sailors on board. The senior ROK Navy representative was Rear-Admiral Kim Jong-Sam.
Quick Facts
- A number of ceremonial and cultural activities occurred as part of the visit. These included a formal welcoming ceremony on board an ROK ship and a wreath laying ceremony at Monument aux Braves.
- The exchange between the RCN and the ROK Navy is part of an ongoing mission to strengthen ties between allied navies. The purpose of these interactions is to strengthen relationships with key defence and security allies in order to build partnerships that will contribute to international peace and security.
- HMCS Donnacona is a Naval Reserve Divisions from Montreal. Its members are ‘citizen sailors’ who serve their country on a part-time basis, commonly during evenings, weekends, and throughout the summer. They come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from student to lawyer, teacher to doctor, but they all have one thing in common – they are proud members of the RCN.
- The wreath-laying ceremony was conducted to pay respect to Canadians that served during the Korean War. 2015 marks the 60th anniversary of the return of RCN ships from Korea. All told, 26,791 Canadians served in the Korean War and approximately 7,000 continued to serve in the theatre between the cease-fire and the end of 1955. The names of 516 Canadian dead are inscribed in the Korea Book of Remembrance.
Quotes
“The Royal Canadian Navy is proud to have the opportunity to host the Republic of Korea’s navy in Montreal. This visit offered multiple interactions between senior leaders from both navies and I am sure it will contribute to maintaining and enhancing the relationships the Royal Canadian Navy has with the Republic of Korea’s Navy.”
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, Commander Royal Canadian Navy
“We very much enjoyed the visit of ROKS Kang Gam Chan and Dae Chung to Montreal. This visit was of particular significance as it came in the 65th anniversary year of the start of the Korean War, where more than 26,000 Canadians, including thousands of sailors on board eight warships, took part in numerous combat and transport missions in support of allied efforts. Building upon our existing relationship, we continue to examine ways to increase exchanges and training opportunities between our navies to instill valuable expertise among our sailors.”
Rear-Admiral Gilles Couturier, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific
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Lieutenant Navy Benoit Plante,
Public Affairs Officier
Tel: (418) 446-1619
benoit.plante2@forces.gc.ca
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