KSS-II Class

The ROK Navy initially worked with both French and German shipyards in the design and acquisition of ROK Navy's next submarine, KSS-II. Six units of the SSU class were initially planned, before a plan to introduce 2-6 ex-Russian Kilo SS was floated. However in late 2000 three Type 214 had been selected.

The Ministry of National Defense decided on three of the German company HDW's Type 214 submarines as the design model of the KSS-II project. This ship will be in the 1800-ton range and will have Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) engineering plant. The submarines will be about 65 meters long and 6 meters wide. They can submerse to a depth of up to 400 meters and will be outfitted with 8 torpedo tubes and Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM). With a crew of 27 to 35 members each, the new subs will carry out underwater operations for a maximum of two weeks at a time. Roughly one trillion won will be budgeted for the costs of constructing the three advanced ships by 2009.

Compared to type-209 class 1,200 ton, the type-214 class is noteworthy, in that it is equipped with Air Independent Propulsion, which improves its underwater performance and gives it stealth capability, enabling underwater operations to be carried out for as long as 2 weeks. Another feature is its state-of-the-art combat system with torpedoes, high-tech missiles, and integrated sensor systems capable of dealing with up to 300 targets simultaneously.

The Ministry of Defense made a final selection of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Co., Ltd. as the main contractor to build three submarines under the the KSS-II project. After receiving all bids and looking at the results of its numerous inspections teams, the Defense Ministry's final decision for Hyundai ended the fierce bidding rivalry with Daewoo Shipbuilding. Daewoo Shipbuilding had enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the nation's submarine industry until early 1999, when the Defense Ministry allowed Hyundai to participate in its submarine project through open competition.

Daewoo Shipbuilding had suffered a financial crunch since its parent conglomerate, Daewoo Group, collapsed following the national financial crisis at the end of 1997. The Ministry cited Hyundai's firm financial structure and favorable terms as key consideration in its decision. HHI will be aided by technical and design provisions from HDW and will construct many sections of the ship domestically. With the transfer of new design technologies from HDW on this project, HHI will be able to construct future submarine projects independently.

The design and major components of the submarine were provided by the Kiel shipyard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The Class 214 submarines for South Korea are being built under licence from HDW at the Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd. Co. shipyard in Ulsan (South Korea).

The new submarine has a displacement of approximately 1,700 tons, is 65 meters long and operated by a regular crew of 27 men. It has a combined diesel-electric and fuel cell propulsion system. Equipped with ultra-modern sensors and an integrated Command and Weapon Control System, it is optimally suited to its future reconnaissance and surveillance tasks. Beside Germany and Italy, South Korea is the third country operating submarines with the revolutionary HDW fuel cell propulsion system.

According to the transcript of the national assembly's meeting of 05 April 2006, South Korea's submarine plan was changed in December 2005 from 9 Type 209s, 3 Type 214s, and 12 "SSX" (indigenous 3,000-ton submarines) to 9 Type 209s, 9 Type 214s, and 9 "KX-3" submarines. The Korean name for the SSX is Jangbogo-III. The Type 214 is called Jangbogo-II [Chang Bogo].

The Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) is one of the recent innovations that have captured the attention and won the admiration of the submarine world. After lengthy studies and discussions it is now the accepted wisdom that the fuel cell systems are the ideal solution for air independent propulsion of conventional (i.e. non-nuclear) submarines. The main reason is that they meet the highest demands in terms of ensuring both an extremely efficient energy conversion and the lowest possible signatures.

With the handover of the 1,700-ton Son Won Il in December 2007, South Korea became the third nation after Germany and Italy that operates submarines powered by a combined diesel-electric and fuel cell propulsion. The second Type 214 ROKS Jeong Ji was launched on 13 June 2007 and entered service in November 2008. On 28 November 2008 the Korean shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd. Co delivered within the agreed time the second of three Class 214 submarines to the national procurement agency DAPA. Thereupon the South Korean Navy took over command of "Yung Yi" on 2nd December 2008. The third unit followed suit in the same manner (launched in June 2008 to be operational in November/December 2009). Design and major components are provided by TKMS-shipyard HDW of Kiel, Germany, but assembly, integration and testing is performed in South Korea at the Hyundai Heavy Indstries Ltd. Co. shipyard in Ulsan.

As of 2008, it was planned that for the next six Type 214s, Daewoo and Hyundai will build three each alternately and the last unit was to be operational by 2017. So the first of the next six should enter service by 2012 and probably be completed by 2010.

The An Jung-geun, Type-214 1,800-ton submarine class submarine, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) went into service 01 December 2009. It is the third 1,800 ton-class submarine, Korea’s biggest. The submarine was launched on June 4, 2008. In honor of the Mr. An Jung-geun, the late independence fighter under Japan''s colonial rule of Korea in the early 20th century, the submarine was named the An Jung-geun Ham by Adm. Jung Ok-geun, Chief of Naval Operations. The submarine is the last of the first batch of three Type-214 submarines contracted in 2000. In July 2009, HHI took an order for an additional submarine and is building the submarine in its yard.

In fact, the first boat from Daewoo was not even laid down until 2010. On 09 December 2008 DSME won an order to build the Korean Navy's 4th type-214 class 1,800-ton submarine. The contract will allow DSME to further broaden their experience in building submarines and naval ships. Over 7 years had passed since the latest DSME-built submarine was delivered. The steel cutting ceremony for the Korean Navy’s Type-214 submarine bearing Hull No.7710 took place on 01 June 2010. The submarine is equipped with advanced systems including air independent propulsion (AIP). With AIP, the type-214 diesel powered submarine can operate underwater for longer periods of time that the type-209 submarines. Mr.Jin-Yong Ha, project manager of the Korean Navy, and about 40 members involved with this project attended the ceremony. This type-214 submarine is scheduled to be delivered by 2014. DSME is the only company in Korea that builds submarines with its own proprietary technology. DSME registered its technology patents in 2006 marking the first time ever a Korean company used its own patents in the construction of submarines. Multiple submarine contracts ensued the technology patent registration. DSME has built nine type-209 submarines in the past fourteen years and has exported its submarines abroad.

In September 2010 DSME received an order to construct the sixth Type-214 Submarine from the South Korean navy. The 1800-ton class submarine which can perform anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare as well as sealing of enemy bases is expected to be a core part of the Korean Navy’s military strength. It is equipped with advanced systems including air independent propulsion (AIP). With AIP, the type-214 diesel powered submarine can operate underwater for longer periods of time than the type-209 submarines. This type-214 submarine is scheduled to be delivered by 2014.

Korea made its first step into the global submarine exports market by securing the country's largest single overseas defense contract. Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering said on Monday 11 October 2011 that it will sign a contract with Indonesia in November to build submarines. This marked the company's first export order for such a project and Korea's biggest overseas defense contract in terms of size.

Under the 1.1 billion-US-dollar-deal, DSME, the world's third-largest and Korea's second-largest shipbuilder will build three 14-hundred-ton, "self-developed" submarines for the Indonesian Navy. Daewoo says it will coordinate details with Indonesia's defense ministry and conclude the deal by November. DSME had been bidding for the contract against competitors from France, Russia, and Germany. In June 2011, Indonesia announced both Korea and France as the preferred bidders but it dropped France making the Korean shipbuilder the sole preferred bidder for the project.

On 24 March 2016 South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) launched the first submarine under a program which succeeded in winning orders abroad for the first time in Korea. The 1400-ton submarine was launched at DSME's Okpo shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, in a ceremony. The vessel is part of a US$1.1 billion (1.28 trillion won) contract, the largest defense export deal in Korea, signed between DSME and the Indonesian Defence Ministry in 2011. In particular, it is meaningful in that it is the nation’s first submarine for export solely developed by DSME.