South Korea a Rising Force

Bryan at Hot Air linked to this piece in the Chosun newspaper concerning the completion of a new Aegis destroyer in Korea. See if you can spot who they had in mind when they designed this ship:

The first of a new class of destroyers named for King Sejong the Great will be launched late this month. Korea's new ship with its Aegis combat system will be more powerful than Japan's most advanced Aegis vessel.

...King Sejong-class destroyers have better attack capabilities than Atago-class vessels, Japan's most up-to-date Aegis vessel which were deployed warfare-ready in March."

...All the features make King Sejong-class destroyers a kind of strategic weapons systems with strategic attack capabilities. Japan's Aegis ships carry no ship-to-surface missiles.

Emphasis mine. Just a bit of animosity towards the Rising Sun, don't you think? Both Koreas have a serious score to settle with Japan for the atrocities the Japanese visited upon them during the second world war. China does as well and that bears some watching as Japan will be the second target the Chinese attack after Taiwan and an alliance with South Korea would not be a welcome development.

In the next several decades, China will look to cement their power in the region and if they were able to co-opt South Korea, the Japanese would have only the US and Australia to aid them.