South Korea’s defense chief ordered navy sailors to “mercilessly bury” North Korean adversaries at sea in the event of another attack, addressing the crew of a new frigate named for a ship sunk by the DPRK.

Shin Won-shik made the remarks on Tuesday aboard the newly commissioned ROKS Cheonan (FFG-II), which the ROK navy deployed to patrol the inter-Korean maritime border earlier this month.

The frigate takes its name from the Cheonan corvette that sunk in 2010 after being struck by a torpedo from a North Korean submarine.

The minister said he hopes the new vessel will “avenge the fallen