The military is pushing to put the country's first indigenous salvage vessel into service to replace aging ships, officers said Monday, amid controversy over substandard equipment on the vessel. 
   
The next-generation rescue and salvage ship Tongyong was launched in September 2012, two years after the sinking of the warship Cheonan by North Korea, to enable the military to effectively carry out rescue operations and tow away damaged vessels.
   
The 160 billion won ($154 million) vessel, however, has not been delivered to the Navy as its remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and hull mounted sonar (HMS) failed to meet the standards set by the military.
  

Prosecutors found that retired and current military officers in private defense companies had been involved in fabricating documents for parts and committing other irregularities. 
   
In April, the military came under fire for failing to send the 3,500-ton ship to the scene of the sinking of the Sewol ferry in waters near the southern island of Jindo. The disaster claimed more than 300 lives.  
   
"We need to put Tongyeong into service to prevent a possible vacuum caused by aging rescue vessels. Despite some hiccups, the Tongyeong is able to serve its basic duties of towing and recovering hulls as well as supporting divers' underwater operations," said an officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
  

South Korea now operates two salvage ships, one built in 1968 and the other made in 1972, although such rescue vessels usually have a life cycle of 30 years.  
   
"After having Tongyeong delivered, we will fix the ROV and the sonar systems over the next one or two years to make them perfect,"
he said, noting the plan will be presented to this week's JCS meeting for approval.
   
Critics, however, say it is improper to deliver a flawed ship to the Navy, claiming that no one can be sure if the Tongyeong will be able to perform in another emergency like the ferry disaster.
   
They also suspect that the authorities' hurried delivery of the ship is aimed at minimizing simmering criticism over alleged corruption in its construction. Last week, the government launched a large-scale joint investigation team of prosecutors, military officers and government officials to root out corruption in the country's defense industry, with the Tongyeong at the center of its inquiries.
   
"Audits and inspections are underway into suspicions over irregularities, and the government and the military are determined to eradicate such ills," an official of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) told reporters, stressing it has fully cooperated with the investigation. (Yonhap)