RV Araon

RV Araon in 2016
History
Name:	Araon
Operator:	Korea Polar Research Institute, South Korea
Builder:	Hanjin Heavy Industries, Yeongdo shipyard, Busan
Cost:	108 billion won
Laid down:	May 2008
Launched:	June 11, 2009
Completed:	September 2009
Homeport:	Incheon, South Korea
Status:	in service
General characteristics
Type:	Research ship
Tonnage:	6,950 GT
Length:	109.5 m (359 ft 3 in)
Beam:	19.0 m (62 ft 4 in)
Depth:	9.9 m (32 ft 6 in)
Ice class:	KR PL-10 (DNV Polar-10)
Installed power:	Two diesel engines (2 × 5,000 kW)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric Two azimuth thrusters Two bow thrusters
Speed:	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) (service) 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) (max) 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) in 1 m (3 ft 3 in) ice
Range:	20,000 nautical miles (37,000 km; 23,000 mi)
Endurance:	70 days
Boats & landing craft carried:	10 m barge capable of carrying 20 ft (6.1 m) container 7 m work boat
Capacity:	31 TEU on deck, 15 TEU in cargo hold
Crew:	25 Up to 60 scientific personnel

RV Araon is a large icebreaker operated by the Government of South Korea. The vessel was commissioned in 2009. She supplies the King Sejong Station, and the Jang Bogo Station, South Korea's second Antarctic research station.

She underwent her sea trials in January 2010, in the Ross Sea. Her first foreign port of call was Lyttelton, New Zealand.

The first location her crew investigated, for a South Korean Antarctic base, in the Cape Burks area, was not deemed suitable, and she then investigated the selected site in Terra Nova Bay.

Her class notation is KRS1-Special purpose ship (Research vessel) PL10, DAT (-30 deg. C), HMS1, KRM1-UMA3, DPS2, NBS2.