South Korea will dispatch one of its 4,500-ton destroyers to a naval parade in Japan next month and conduct a joint search and rescue exercise with the neighbor, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.

The guided missiles-equipped Navy destroyer Dae Joyeong will be sent to join the fleet parade to be held by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on Oct. 18, a ministry official said.

The destroyer, built in 2003, is capable of accommodating 200 crewmen and sailing at a speed of 28 knots.

The warship is equipped with anti-submarine and anti-aircraft guided missiles and torpedoes, along with a pair of helicopters and a close-range weapons system, designed to shoot down short-range incoming missiles.

This will mark the second time that South Korea has dispatched a Navy warship to Japan's fleet parade, following the last one in 2002, the ministry said. At that time, the Navy dispatched a smaller destroyer, Gwanggaeto the Great.

In addition to South Korea, the United States, Australia, India and France will join the international naval parade.

During its dispatch to Japan, the warship will take part in a joint search and rescue exercise with Japan, which will be the ninth of its kind conducted for humanitarian purposes, the ministry added.

Since 1999, the two countries have been carrying out joint search and rescue drills every other year.

Japan has participated in South Korean naval parades twice, including in 1998, when the country sent a 7,000-ton Aegis destroyer. (Yonhap)