These were ships used by the US Navy during World War II and were modernized in electronics and weaponry during FRAM II. They were once magnificent ships, which throughout the 1970s constituted the backbone of the Republic of Korea Navy as a replacement for Chungmu class destroyers. Eventually, they were deemed too outdated. However, they remained in service until well into the 1990s, when they were downright obsolete. They were all leased till 1977 then bought by the navy.[1]
They received two destroyers of the Gearing class for the Republic of Korea Navy from the US in 1972 as part of the American Military Assistance Program. More were later leased over in later years.
| Name | Hull Number | FRAM | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROKS Chungbuk | DD-915 | 1972 | December 2000 | Former DD-805 Chevalier, decommissioned | [2] | |
| ROKS Jeonbuk | DD-916 | 1972 | December 1999 | Former DD-830 Everett F. Larson, decommissioned | ||
| ROKS Daejeon | DD-919 | 1977 | February 2001 | Former DD-818 New, decommissioned and used as a museum ship until scrapped | ||
| ROKS Gwangju | DD-921 | 1977 | December 2000 | Former DD-849 Richaard E. Kraus, decommissioned | ||
| ROKS Gangwon | DD-922 | 1978 | December 2000 | Former DD-714 William R. Rush, decommissioned | ||
| ROKS Gyeonggi | DD-923 | 1978 | Former DD-883 Newman K. Perry, decommissioned | |||
| ROKS Jeonju | DD-925 | 1981 | Former DD-876 Rogers, decommissioned and used as a museum ship | |||