Women to Begin Serving on South Korean Submarines in 2024

The South Korean Navy announced on Monday that women will begin deploying as crew aboard its submarines in 2024. The first two commissioned, and seven non-commissioned, female officers have already been selected for sub duty.

South Korea commissioned its first submarine in 1993 and today it operates about 20 of them, mostly sophisticated but relatively small vessels. In 2021, the South Korean Navy began construction on a new class of 3,000-ton subs that will boast much larger crews, with enough living space to have segregated quarters for female service members.

The Korea Herald reported on Monday that the review process for female submarine crew members began in 2014. The number of women who applied for the positions was much larger than expected, so the South Korean Navy decided to double the number of female crew who will be deployed aboard the first two 3,000-ton submarines, the Dosan An Chang-ho and An Mu.

“The selected nine female naval officers will undergo training at the 909th Training and Education Squadron under the South Korean Navy’s Submarine Force Command until early next year. Upon successfully completing training and the necessary qualifications, they will officially begin their roles as submarine crew members starting next year,” the Korea Herald said.

A South Korean Navy spokesman told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday that training is expected to last until January or February, and will be the same as training given to male submarine crew.

The first two South Korean subs with room for female crew members are already at sea, so the women can presumably deploy soon after their training is completed.  ROKS Dosan An Chang-ho performed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) tests last August. ROKS Ahn Mu was launched in November 2020.

The two commissioned female officers selected for duty are both South Korean Naval Academy graduates who hold the rank of captain. One of them also received training at the United States Naval Academy.

The South Korean Navy said the decision to deploy female officers aboard submarines was made both to expand career opportunities for women and to address personnel shortages. South Korea has about 41,000 sailors at present, 2,800 of them women. 

Thirteen other countries allow women to serve on submarines, including the United States, which began allowing female sub officers in 2010 and female enlisted crew in 2013.