The First Woman Ship Captain Of South Korean Navy Takes Command In 81-Year History

Captain Bae Sun-young will take command of the flagship ROKS Dokdo on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to lead a captain-rank ship in the South Korean Navy’s 81-year history.

The Republic of Korea Navy said on Tuesday that Bae will command the landing platform helicopter ship, which carries out amphibious landings and serves as a flagship for naval task forces.

ROKS Dokdo also works as a platform for unmanned vehicles, and Bae described it as one of the fleet’s large transport ships.

Bae entered the Korea Naval Academy in 1999, the year the academy first admitted female midshipmen, 53 years after it opened in 1946. Bae has previously commanded the patrol boat Chamsuri-282 and the minelayer ROKS Wonsan.

Bae also served as operations officer aboard the corvette ROKS Namwon and as deck officer aboard ROKS Dokdo, and now returns to that ship as its commanding officer.

During the 2026 Rim of the Pacific Exercise, which drew forces from 30 countries, Bae headed the Maritime Operations Center at the Combined Force Maritime Component Command.

The service said Bae helped South Korea become the first Asian country to lead a Combined Force Maritime Component mission.

South Korea commissioned its first female naval officers in 2001, and around 2,800 women have since entered service as officers and noncommissioned officers.

The Republic of Korea Navy has not said how many of those 2,800 women now hold command positions, or how the 2001 commissioning date sits alongside the academy opening to women in 1999.

The service has opened assignments to women aboard surface ships and submarines, and in naval aviation, and has appointed women to major command posts.

Bae said she felt honoured and aware of the responsibility of commanding a large transport ship.

Bae also added that she would rather build ROKS Dokdo into “a ship capable of flawlessly carrying out any mission at any time” than dwell on the symbolism of being first. The new captain takes command on Wednesday, 27 years after the Korea Naval Academy admitted its first female midshipmen.