President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers congratulatory remarks at the launch ceremony for the Jeongjo The Great destroyer at a Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, 307 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk-yeol traveled to the southeastern port city of Ulsan on Thursday to celebrate the launch of a new 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer, calling it a "national strategic asset" amid his administration's push to strengthen maritime security.

Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee attended the launch ceremony for the Jeongjo The Great destroyer, named after a visionary king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), which took place at a Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, 307 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

"Jeongjo The Great, the Navy's first 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer, will further strengthen the Navy's combat capabilities as a national strategic asset based on a cutting-edge combat system that is equipped with the ability to detect, track and intercept ballistic missiles," Yoon said in congratulatory remarks.

"We can become an economic power only if we have the capability of a maritime power that defends itself at sea," he continued, noting that 99.7 percent of the country's trade volume is transported by sea.

"We will build strong maritime security in order that the people can safely carry out economic activities at sea," he added.