The ships are the first two in a series of nine to be delivered by Hyundai Heavy Industries and will go into service on the Asia-Europe trade in April. The rest of the series is due to be delivered through 2012 and 2013.
Hanjin will become the seventh liner carrier to operate vessels of this size – the others are Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Co., CMA CGM, COSCO Container Lines, China Shipping, UASC, and Hanjin’s compatriot carrier Hyundai Merchant Marine, which took delivery of its first 13,100-TEU vessel in February.
The Hanjin Sooho is named after the company’s late chairman.