Navy sets record of submarine operation without accident for two decades

South Korea's Navy has set a record for operating its submarines without a single accident in 20 years, officials said Thursday.

   The Navy plans to mark the feat in a ceremony at a naval base in Jinhae on the south coast Friday, officials said.

   South Korea introduced its first submarine, the Jangbogo from Germany, in October 1992, and now has 10 submarines.

   "We have accomplished about 400 patrol missions in waters around the Korean Peninsula where the underwater environment is complex," a Navy official said. "Our first submarine, the Jangbogo, set a record of operating 200,000 miles without an accident last year."

   South Korea's Navy chief, Adm. Choi Yun-hee, hailed the no-accident record, saying in the text of a speech to be delivered at Friday's ceremony that the feat is unprecedented in the 41 submarine-operating countries of the world.