A Bond Forged on Deck... Navy Officer Couple Vows to Fulfill Duties with Love

In celebration of Couple's Day on May 21, the Republic of Korea Navy introduced Lieutenant Colonel (select) Lim Jaeu and Major Kim Boa, a married couple serving as naval officers on Aegis destroyers, both assigned to the Naval Mobile Flotilla Command.

Lieutenant Colonel (select) Lim serves as the chief engineer on the Yulgok Yi I (DDG-I, 7,600-ton class), while Major Kim is the chief of the main engine room on the Jeongjo Daewang (DDG-II, 8,200-ton class). Both are alumni of the Department of Marine Engineering at Mokpo National Maritime University. Major Kim, the wife, is one year senior to Lieutenant Colonel (select) Lim in university, but Lieutenant Colonel (select) Lim was commissioned two years earlier, reversing their seniority in the Navy.

Both officers serve as ship (engineering) branch officers, drawing on their university majors. Although they are currently assigned to different ships, they share the responsibility of managing and supervising the propulsion and power generation systems, which are the heart of the Navy's Aegis destroyers (DDG). They are also both in charge of damage control duties such as firefighting, flooding control, and CBR (chemical, biological, radiological) defense.

The couple's shared professional background on similar ships and their open, barrier-free communication create a synergistic effect. In 2023, the couple co-authored a research paper titled "Development Direction of Integrated Maintenance Support System through Civil-Military Collaboration," which was published in Issue 91 of the "Ship Technology Journal" by the Naval Logistics Command.

Their relationship began after joining the Navy. In 2011, then-Lieutenant Lim and then-Second Lieutenant Kim were serving as duty officers on the destroyers ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sunshin (DDH-II, 4,400-ton class) and ROKS Wang Geon (DDH-II, 4,400-ton class), which were moored side by side. At sunset, while coming out to the deck to conduct the flag-lowering ceremony, Lieutenant Lim recognized Second Lieutenant Kim on the adjacent ship and struck up a conversation.

The two officially began dating in December of that year. As university seniors and juniors, as well as seniors and juniors in the Navy's ship (engineering) branch, they understood each other better than anyone else. After dating for about two years, they were married in April 2014. Now in their 11th year of marriage, Lieutenant Colonel (select) Lim and Major Kim are proud parents of three daughters, aged 10, 7, and 5.

Lieutenant Colonel (select) Lim and Major Kim said, "There are times when it can be difficult to balance ship duty and parenting together, but we always receive consideration both at work and at home, and above all, we solve problems by closely 'collaborating' with each other. Becoming naval officers and becoming a married couple were both special paths we chose. As a married couple serving as naval officers on Aegis destroyers, we will use our love as the driving force to fulfill our responsibilities both at work and at home."