The Navy held a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the 15th anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan warship in waters near the de facto inter-Korean maritime border, which killed 46 sailors.

The ceremony, led by Second Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Hur Sung-jae, took place in front of a monument at the command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, built to honor the sailors who lost their lives in the North Korean torpedo attack on March 26, 2010.

Some 200 people attended the event, including the families of the 46 sailors, servicepeople, incumbent and former lawmakers, and veterans ministry officials.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Yang Yong-mo said the South Korean Navy and Marine Corps have never forgotten the 46 sailors and will continue to remember them, in a telegram sent to commemorate their devotion and sacrifices.

The naval chief said the new Cheonan frigate, commissioned in 2023, and other vessels at the Second Fleet will carry out their duties and respond sternly to enemy provocations to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain.