S. Korea increases capacity for war 'to defend itself'

The South Korean navy has begun to remake itself from a coastal patrol force intended to foil North Korea into a blue-water fleet able to project power onto the high seas, which has implications rippling out from Seoul to Singapore.

The navy has deployed its first Aegis destroyer, a high-tech ship designed to fight other ships, chase submarines and defend against aerial attacks.

Two more Aegis destroyers are to be added over the next five years, at a cost of $3.4 billion, with three more possible after that.

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