SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Navy's 3,100-ton frigate Daejeon has won the top honor at a live-fire gunnery competition held during this year's Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the service said Sunday.

The ROKS Daejeon scored the highest points among 13 warships from 10 countries that took part in the Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) Rodeo competition held in Hawaii last month, according to the Navy.

It marked the first time in 16 years that a South Korean warship took the top prize since the Navy's King Sejong the Great destroyer won the competition in 2010.

Launched in 1971, RIMPAC is a biennial exercise designed to enhance cooperation among participating countries in securing sea lines of communication and countering potential security challenges at sea.

South Korea served as the commander of the Combined Force Maritime Component during RIMPAC conducted in and around the Hawaiian Islands, making it the first Asian country and the fourth non-U.S. participant to assume the commanding role.

The gunnery competition took place on July 12, but the results were announced during the closing ceremony of the exercise held Friday.

mlee@yna.co.kr

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