SEOUL, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- The Navy said Tuesday it has appointed a female officer for the first time to lead its large amphibious transport ship, reflecting a commitment to personnel selections based on merit rather than gender.

Cpt. Bae Sun-young will command the 14,500-ton ROKS Dokdo amphibious transport ship, starting Wednesday, the Navy said in a release.

Bae joined the Naval Academy in 1999, the year the institution began to recruit female cadets. She was commissioned in 2003.

Bae has since taken on key roles in naval operations, serving as the commanding officer of the Chamsuri patrol boat and on the Wonsan minelayer ship.

Most recently, Bae served in the Combined Force Maritime Component Command during this year's U.S.-RIMPAC multilateral maritime exercise, in which South Korea was the first Asian nation to lead the maritime component.

"It is an immense honor to assume this vital role, and I feel a heavy responsibility to command the vessel," Bae was quoted as saying.

"Rather than focusing on the symbolism of being the first female commanding officer of a captain-rank warship, my priority will be to ensure the Dokdo is fully prepared to execute any mission flawlessly whenever called upon," she added.

The 199-meter-long and 30-meter-wide Dokdo transport ship carries out multidomain amphibious operations across air and sea, serving as a flagship for task groups and a mother ship for naval unmanned systems. It also carries out a range of missions, including peacekeeping and disaster relief.

elly@yna.co.kr

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