[남북의 창] 한국 ‘30개국 해상훈련’ 지휘…북한은 ‘발끈’ 외 [이슈&한반도] / KBS 2026.07.25.

Good evening, everyone. Students from China and Russia have participated in a summer camp held at North Korea's largest campsite. The Korean Central News Agency reported that students from these two countries participated in the 2026 Songdowon Friendship Camp, which opened last Sunday. The trilateral alliance between North Korea, China, and Russia, which began in earnest following last year's military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day, is now extending into the civilian sector. The Songdowon campsite in Wonsan, Gangwon Province, opened in 1960 to promote the North Korean regime to youth from pro-North Korean countries; until now, it has primarily been visited by students from Africa, Europe, and South America. We begin "Window on the North and South." Currently, the world's largest multinational maritime exercise, "RIMPAC," is underway in the waters off Hawaii. Naval forces from 30 nations have assembled, including the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, known as a "floating military base," as well as the South Korean Navy's elite destroyers and submarines. Notably, the South Korean Navy is commanding this multinational maritime force, serving as the Commander of the Combined Naval Component for the first time among Asian nations. North Korea condemned RIMPAC with harsh rhetoric, calling it the reckless antics of international rogues. [Report] Amidst the warships of various nations assembled at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, a magnificent aircraft carrier stands out. This is the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier capable of displaying the United States' military power anywhere in the world. On the deck, which spans an area three times the size of a football field, a total of about 70 aircraft, including F-18 fighter jets and F-35C stealth fighters, are waiting to take off. [William Mattis / Captain / Commander of the Roosevelt: "We go out to sea and operate a 'floating airport' that is U.S. territory. In fact, it is truly remarkable because it is no different from a floating city."] RIMPAC is the world's largest multinational maritime exercise, a biennial military exercise in the Pacific Rim hosted by the U.S. Third Fleet Command. The 2026 RIMPAC exercise involved naval vessels from a total of 30 countries and approximately 30,000 troops. The United States conducted joint operations centered around the USS Roosevelt, while also testing a hybrid manned-unmanned combat system by deploying unmanned surface vessels (Seahawks) to its fleet. The Republic of Korea Navy also deployed a large number of state-of-the-art forces, including the 8,000-ton Aegis destroyer ROKS Jeongjo the Great, the 3,000-ton diesel submarine ROKS Dosan An Changho, and P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. [ROKS Jeongjo the Great Air Defense Training: "(Identification results indicate it is an enemy fighter jet...) 3, 2, 1. Destroy target."] Notably, for this exercise, ROKS Dosan An Changho crossed the Pacific Ocean, covering a distance of 14,000 km—a first in the history of Republic of Korea submarines. The P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, known as the "submarine killer," also participated in RIMPAC for the first time. A U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft takes off first, followed by a South Korean Navy P-8 Poseidon. Upon arrival at the operational area, underwater sonar, or "sonobuoys," are deployed. ["Drop in about 5 seconds. Standby. Dropping sonobuoys. Now, now, now. Sonar open."] The sonobuoys, measuring approximately one meter in size, serve to locate enemy submarines by detecting underwater sound waves; the South Korean Navy's P-8 Poseidon can carry up to 120 of them. After dropping nine and four sonobuoys respectively, the U.S. aircraft and the South Korean maritime patrol aircraft shared detection data in real-time, successfully locating a simulated enemy submarine and firing torpedoes. ["Standby. Dropping weapons. Now, now, now."] The reason this RIMPAC is receiving particular attention is that the South Korean Navy has taken command of a multinational naval force for the first time in history. Rear Admiral Kim In-ho, Commander of the ROK Navy Mobile Fleet, served as the Commander of the Combined Naval Component Command (RIMPAC) and commanded the naval forces of 30 nations. South Korea is the fourth country other than the United States to assume this mission, and the first Asian nation to do so. [Rear Admiral Kim In-ho / Commander of the 2026 RIMPAC Combined Naval Component Command: "I will strive to make the stature of the Republic of Korea Navy widely known throughout the world."] The leap of the Korean Navy from merely a participating nation in exercises to a commanding nation is attributed to the widespread recognition of its capabilities in conducting combined maritime operations and its physical military prowess. Furthermore, the changing international security environment is also analyzed to have played a role. [Bong Young-sik / Visiting Professor, Yonsei U...