The
Republic of Korea Armed Forces (
hangulHangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language, as distinguished from the logographic Sino-Korean hanja system...
: 대한민국 국군;
hanjaHanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 大韓民國 國軍; Revised Romanization:
Daehanminguk Gukgun) or
ROK Armed Forces, is the
armed forcesThe armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external and internal aggressors. In some countries...
of
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
. It consists of the following branches:
- Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is by far the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 522,000 members as of 2008. This size is maintained through conscription, South Korean men must complete 24 months of military service between graduation of high school and the age of 35...
(대한민국 육군; 大韓民國 陸軍)
- Republic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is a branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
(대한민국 해군; 大韓民國 海軍;Daehan Minguk Haegun)
- Republic of Korea Marine Corps
The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
(대한민국 해병대; 大韓民國 海兵隊;Daehan Minguk Haebyeongdae)
- Republic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea. It operates under the Ministry of National Defense....
(대한민국 공군; 大韓民國 空軍)
There is also:
- Republic of Korea Reserve Forces (대한민국 예비군; 大韓民國 豫備軍)
Created in 1948, following the
divisionThe division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
of the
Korean PeninsulaThe Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan on the east, the East China Sea to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two...
by occupying Soviet and U.S. forces, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces is one of the largest standing
armed forcesThe armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external and internal aggressors. In some countries...
in the world with a reported personnel strength of 3,695,000 in 2008 (655,000 active force and 3,040,000 regular reserve).
The ROK military forces are responsible for maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the republic, but often engage in humanitarian and disaster-relief efforts nation wide. More recently the ROK military began increasing its participation in international affairs, acknowledging its role and responsibility as the fifteenth economic power in the world in terms of GDP. The ROK military has participated in various peacekeeping operations, and counter-terrorism operations.
History
The South Korean armed forces were largely
constabularyConstabulary may have several definitions.*A civil, non-paramilitary police force consisting of police officers called constables. This is the usual definition in Britain, in which all county police forces once bore the title...
force until the outbreak of the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
. It was heavily damaged by
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
n and
ChineseChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
attacks and in the beginning relied almost entirely on American support for weapons, ammunition and technology. During South Korea's period of rapid growth, the military expanded accordingly, benefiting from several government-sponsored technology transfer projects and indigenous defense capability initiatives.
ModernizationModernization is a concept used in sociology and politics. It is the view that a standard, teleological evolutionary pattern, as described in the social evolutionism theories, exists as a template for all nations and peoples...
efforts for the ROK military have been in place since the 1980s. The GlobalSecurity.org website states that "in 1990 South Korean industries provided about 70 percent of the weapons, ammunition, communications and other types of equipment, vehicles, clothing, and other supplies needed by the military." Today, the South Korean armed forces enjoys of a good mix of avant-garde as well as older
conventional weaponA conventional weapon or conventional arm is a weapon that is not forbidden according to conventions, such as the Convention on Cluster Munitions or the Ottawa Treaty...
s.
The Republic of Korea has one of the highest defense budgets in the world, regularly making the list of top fifteen (as of 2008) (see
List of countries by military expenditures). Its capabilities include many sophisticated American and European weapon systems, complemented by a growing and increasingly more advanced indigenous defense manufacturing sector. For example, by taking advantage of the strong local shipbuilding industry, the ROK Navy has embarked on a rigorous modernization plan with ambitions to become a
blue-water navyThe term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
by 2020.
South Korea has a joint military partnership with the United States as outlined by the Mutual Defense Treaty signed after the Korean War. During the outbreak of the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
, South Korean Army and Marines were among those fighting alongside South Vietnam and the United States. More recently, South Korea also takes part in regional as well as pan-Pacific national military wargames and exercises such as
RIMPACRIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime exercise. It is hosted and administered by the Royal Navy and United States Navy, but the United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard are also involved, as well as Hawaii National Guard forces under...
and RSOI.
National Command Authority
The
PresidentThe President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of the Republic of Korea...
is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces ex officio. The military authority runs from the President to the Minister of Defense, who is commonly (but not legally bound to be) a retired 4-star General or Admiral.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a 4-star General or Admiral, is the Senior Officer of the Armed Forces and has the Operational Authority over the Armed Forces, with directions from the President through the Minister of Defense. Traditionally (with one exception), the position is filled by an officer of the Army. The chain of Operational Authority runs straight from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commandants of the several Operational Command. Currently there are five Operational Commands in the Army, two in the Navy (including the Marine Corps) and one in the Air Force.
The respective Chiefs of Staff of each Service Branch (Army, Navy, Air Force) has administrative control over his or her own service. Each Chief of Staff is also a standing member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Headquarters Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (Hangul: 대한민국 합동참모본부, Hanja: 大韓民國 合同參謀本部) is a group of Chiefs from each major branch of the armed services in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Unlike his/her United States counterpart, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has Operational Control over all military personnel of the Armed Forces.
All regular members are 4-star Generals or Admirals, though the Deputy Chairman has been 3-star Officers intermittently.
Senior Leadership
(As November 2008)
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Headquarters Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff is a group of Chiefs from each major branch of the armed services in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Unlike his/her United States counterpart, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has Operational Control over all military personnel of...
: General Kim Tae-youngGeneral Kim Tae-Young, ROKA, is the 34th and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.General Kim graduated from the Republic of Korea Military Academy in 1972...
, ROKAThe Republic of Korea Army is by far the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 522,000 members as of 2008. This size is maintained through conscription, South Korean men must complete 24 months of military service between graduation of high school and the age of 35...
- Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Vice Admiral Kim Joong-ryun, ROKN
The Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is a branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
- Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is by far the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 522,000 members as of 2008. This size is maintained through conscription, South Korean men must complete 24 months of military service between graduation of high school and the age of 35...
: General Lim Choung-bin, ROKA
- Chief of Naval Operations of the Republic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is a branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
: Admiral Jung Ok-keun, ROKN
- Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps
The Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
: Lieutenant General Lee Hong-hee, ROKMCThe Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
- Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea. It operates under the Ministry of National Defense....
: General Lee Gye-hoon, ROKAFThe Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea. It operates under the Ministry of National Defense....
- Deputy Commander, ROK-US Combined Forces Command: General Lee Sung-chul, ROKA
Army
The ROK Army (ROKA)—the sixth largest army in the world—is by far the largest of the military branches, with 522,000 effectives as of 2008. This comes as a response to both the mountainous terrain native to the
Korean PeninsulaThe Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan on the east, the East China Sea to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two...
(70% mountainous) as well as the heavy North Korean presence, with its 1 million strong army, two-thirds of which is permanently garrisoned in the frontline near the
DMZThe Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
.
It should be noted that the current administration has initiated a program of self-defense, where by South Korea would be able to fully counter the North Korean threat with purely domestic means within the next two decades.
The ROK Army was formerly organized into three armies: the First Army (FROKA), Second Army (SROKA), and Third Army (TROKA), each with its own headquarters, corps, and divisions. The Third Army was responsible for the defense of the capital as well as the western section of the DMZ. The First Army was responsible for the defense of the eastern section of the DMZ whereas the SROKA formed the rearguard.
Under a restructuring plan aimed at reducing redundancy, the First and Third Armies will be incorporated into the newly formed First Operations Command, whereas the Second ROK Army has been converted into the Second Operations Command.
The army consists of the Army Headquarters, the Aviation Command, and the Special Warfare Command, with 11 corps, 49 divisions, and 19 brigades, some 522,000 troops and estimated as many as 5,850 tanks/armored vehicles, 11,337 artillery systems, 7,032 missile defense systems and 13,000 infantry support systems.
Tanks of the ROK Army include the older
M48A5The M48 Patton II was the third and final US medium gun tank of the Patton series, named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle. It was a further development of the M47 Patton tank...
, T-80U as well as the more recent K1 and K1A1 which bear a 120 mm smoothbore gun and are of local manufacture. The ROK Army has 2,872 tanks, including 1,524 K1 and K1A1 tanks.
The future replacement for the K1 MBT has been baptized the
XK2 Black PantherK2 Black Panther is an advanced main battle tank which will replace the M48A5K Patton tanks and complement the K1 series of main battle tanks currently fielded by the Republic of Korea. Full-scale mass-production is expected to start in 2009...
(Korean: 흑표), which will be fitted with a 1,500 hp water-cooled Diesel engine, 120 mm/L55 main gun, and coaxial machine guns. The new tank will also feature radar equipment as well as all-bearing
laserA laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. Laser light is usually spatially coherent, which means that the light either is emitted in a narrow, low-divergence beam, or can be converted into one with the help of optical components such as lenses...
detection system and reactive armor comparable to the American
M1A2The M1 Abrams is a main battle tank produced in the United States. The M1 is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. It is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for modern armored...
and French
LeclercThe Leclerc is a main battle tank built by Nexter of France. It was named in honour of General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque who led the French element of the drive towards Paris while in command of the Free French 2nd Armoured Division in World War II.The Leclerc is in service with the...
.
In addition South Korea already manufactures the indigenous
K-9 ThunderThe K9 Thunder is an indigenous South Korean self-propelled 155 mm howitzer developed by Samsung Techwin.-General characteristics:K9 is an indigenous system of an all-welded steel armour construction which is rated to withstand impact by 14.5 mm armour piercing shells and 152 mm...
howitzers, which have been exported to Turkey, as well as the
K200Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicle K-200 is a South Korean infantry fighting vehicle.In 1981 the Republic of Korea Army issued a request for proposals for a new Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicle . Agency for Defense Development had designed and developed it and Daewoo Heavy Industries, Co. was a...
series KIFV's which saw action in UN peacekeeping operations as part of the Malaysian peacekeeping forces. A variation of the K200, the
KAFVThe K-200 KIFV/KAFV is a South Korean infantry fighting vehicle/armoured fighting vehicle, produced by Daewoo Heavy Industries and designed as a more powerful armoured personnel carrier.In 1981, the Republic of Korea Army ROKA issued a request for proposals for a new...
, can be retrofitted to bear a 90 mm barrel or 40 mm grenade turret or M230-1 chain gun or MK-30 30mm chain gun turret.
Also a replacement for the South Korean K200 series infantry fighting vehicles are currently being tested, designated as K21 (Korea Next-generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle). The initial production is set for 2008, with the ROKA planning to field approximately 1,000 units until 2015.
The K21 KNIFV's chassis will be constructed entirely out of fiberglass, reducing the vehicle's load and enabling it to travel at higher speeds without bulky and powerful engines. When constructed, the NIFV will be lighter than other IFVs, including the American Bradley series and Russian BMP series, increasing both speed and payload.
The ROK Army also fields the mobile K-SAM Pegasus , fitted with 8 missiles that fly at maximum speeds of mach 2.6, and the
K-30 BihoK30, called "Biho system," is a self-propelled 30 mm AA twin-gun system which has high kill probability against penetrating low-altitude airborne targets...
series, which feature a 30 mm twin gun system for self-propelled anti-aerial fire support.
Besides having vehicles of their own design as well as American models, the ROK Army also has several Russian-built AFVs, including
BMP-3The BMP-3 is a Soviet amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2, which entered service with the Soviet army in 1987 and was first observed by the West in 1990...
IFVs and T-80U MBTs. Although they are in active service with the Army, most of them were purchased in order to experiment their technology to be fitted with the ROK's XK2 MBT, such as the
Explosive Reactive ArmorReactive armour is a type of vehicle armour that reacts in some way to the impact of a weapon to reduce the damage done to the vehicle being protected. It is most effective in protecting against shaped charges and specially hardened long rod penetrators...
blocks mounted on several Russian armored vehicles. However, the ROK Army is continuing their purchase of Russian equipment, as their recent addition of two BMP-3U IFVs hints. Other notable foreign equipment in service with the ROK Army includes the TOW ATGM launchers and Mistral MANPADS.
Navy
The ROK Navy (ROKN) is the armed forces branch responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. As a part of its mission, the ROK Navy has engaged in several
peacekeeping operationsPeacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace." It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
since the turn of the century.
The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Navy Headquarters, Republic of Korea Fleet, Naval Logistics Command, Naval Education and Training Command, Naval Academy, and
Republic of Korea Marine CorpsThe Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
, which is a quasi-autonomous organization. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer (four-star admiral) of the ROK Navy.
The ROK Navy had about 68,000 regular personnel including the 27,000 Republic of Korea Marine Corps personnel as of 2008. There are some 170 commissioned ships (total displacement of approx. 153,000 tons) in the ROK Navy, including approximately 10 submarines, 80 patrol craft and 20 auxiliaries as of October 2007. The naval aviation forces consist of about 10 fixed-wing and 50 rotary-wing aircraft. The Marine Corps operates about 400 tracked vehicles including
self-propelled artillerySelf-propelled artillery vehicles are a way of giving mobility to artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
.
In 1995, Admiral An Pyongtae, the 20th Chief of Naval Operations, presented the vision of building a "
blue ocean navyThe term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
" for the future of the ROK Navy in his inaugural address. In 2001, then President Kim Dae-jung announced a plan for building up a Strategic Mobile Fleet. As a part of "Defense Reform 2020," which was proposed by the
Roh Moo-hyunRoh Moo-hyun was the 16th President of South Korea . Before entering politics, he was a human rights lawyer....
Administration, the ROK Navy is required to reform the organizations under
Commander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the...
Republic of Korea Fleet (CINCROKFLT) by upgrading a submarine operations command (to fleet submarine force), a naval aviation operations command (to fleet air arm), and by establishing some Mobile Flotillas. The ROK Navy aims to become a
blue-water navyThe term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
by 2020.
In the first decade of the 21st century, the ROK Navy launched the lead ships of newly developed types: in 2002, ROKS
Chungmugong Yi Sunshin (DDH 975), a 4,500-ton destroyer, was launched; in 2005, the 14,000-ton amphibious landing ship,
ROKS DokdoThe LPX project was the Republic of Korea Navy's new amphibious landing ship project for which Hanjin Heavy Industries has provided the general design package...
(LPH 6111) was launched; in 2006, the ROK Navy launched the
Sohn Won-yil (SS 072), an 1,800-ton
Type 214 submarineThe Type 214 is a diesel-electric submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH . It features diesel propulsion with an air-independent propulsion system using Siemens polymer electrolyte module hydrogen fuel cells...
with Air-Independent propulsion (AIP) system. In 2007, the ROK Navy launched the lead ship (DDG 991) of the
King Sejong the Great class destroyer, built around the
Aegis combat systemThe Aegis combat system is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The ROK Navy is undertaking several shipbuilding projects:
Korean Destroyer Experimental (KDX) programKDX is a substantial shipbuilding program embarked on by the Republic of Korea Navy.*It is a three-phased program consisting of three individual classes of ships:** KDX-I ,** KDX-II ,...
, Frigate Experimental (FFX), Landing Platform Experimental (LPX), Patrol Killer Experimental (PKX), and
Korean Submarine (KSS) programThe KSS program is a three-phased project to build up the Republic of Korea Navy 's submarine arsenal. Before the KSS program, the submarine fleet of the ROK Navy consisted of midget submarines, such as the Dolgorae class submarine and SX 756 Dolphin class submarine, which had limited capabilities...
.
The ROK Navy hosted its second international fleet review off coast of Busan in October 2008.
Air Force
The ROK Air Force (ROKAF) is a modern air force, which fields some 600+ combat aircraft of American design. In contrast, the
North Korean ArmyThe Korean People's Army comprises the military forces of North Korea. Kim Jung-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
has roughly 1,600–1,700 aircraft, but mostly obsolete types of
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
and
ChineseThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
origin.
Korea began a program for the development of indigenous jet trainers beginning in 1997. This project eventually culminated in the KAI T-50, dubbed the "Golden Eagle" which is used as a trainer for jet pilots, now being exported to Indonesia. An armed version of the T-50 is the modified A-50, which can be fitted with free-fall or precision missiles such as the
AGM-65 MaverickThe AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile designed for close air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel storage facilities....
.
South Korea maintains a modern air force in order to defend itself from various modes of threats, including the
North Korean ArmyThe Korean People's Army comprises the military forces of North Korea. Kim Jung-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
, which fields about twice as many aircraft (of mostly obsolescent types). As of
2007This is a list of aviation-related events from 2007:-January:*1 January – Adam Air Flight 574, a Boeing 737, disappears in Indonesian airspace with 102 people on board....
, it operated more than 180
KF-16C/DThe Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
s, 234 F-5A/B/E/Fs, 130
F-4D/EThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States...
s, 32 F-15Ks with the rest of the 29 F-15Ks being delivered by June 2010, and a number of South Korean made KAI A-50s among its combat aircraft. The Korean variant of F-15E were named F-15K
Slam Eagles. South Korea became one of the world's few aircraft exporters when it exported 19 KT-1B indigenous training aircraft to
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in 2003.
Korean Aerospace IndustriesKorea Aerospace Industries Ltd. is a South Korean national aerospace company established in 1999 with the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company .- Past and current aircraft models :Military*KT-1, 1998*T-50 Golden Eagle,...
, the South Korean national aerospace company, has plans to export more KT-1 and
T-50 Golden EagleThe T-50 Golden Eagle is a South Korean supersonic advanced trainer and light attack jet, developed by the Korean Aerospace Industries beginning in the late 1990s. The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and one of the few supersonic trainers...
supersonic trainer aircraft.
The Republic of Korea Air Force also expressed interests in acquiring the
RQ-4 Global HawkThe Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle used by the United States Air Force as a surveillance aircraft....
and
Joint Direct Attack MunitionThe Joint Direct Attack Munition is a "joint" United States Air Force and United States Navy program that utilizes a guidance kit that converts existing unguided gravity bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions...
kits to further improve their intelligence and offensive capabilities.
The replacement programs for the T-50 and A-50 are the KTX-2 and F-X, respectively. The latter has been fulfilled by the Boeing F-15K.
The South Korean government also announced its plan to develop indigenous helicopter manufacturing capacities to replace the aging
UH-1The UH-1 Iroquois is a multipurpose military helicopter, famous for its use in the Vietnam War. It is commonly known as the "Huey"....
helicopters, many of which had seen service during the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. The program originally included plans for the development of both a civilian and a military helicopter. This was later revised and gave priority to the utility helicopter program. Based on the success and experience of the civilian KMH (Korean Multi-purpose Helicopter) the attack helicopter, which would share a common configuration, will be developed.
Marine Corps
Although the National Armed Forces Organisation Act stipulates that the ROK Navy includes the
Republic of Korea Marine CorpsThe Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
, the ROKMC is a semi-autonomous organization that carries out much of its functions independently. During the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
, the ROKMC earned their nickname as "귀신잡는 해병대" (Ghost-Catching Marines).
The motto of the ROK Marine Corps is "한번 해병은 영원한 해병" (Once a Marine, Always a Marine).
Personnel
Military service is mentioned as one of the Four Constitutional Duties (along with taxes, education, and labor) for all citizens. The current effective Conscription Law, however, applies only to males although women can volunteer as officers. Military service varies according to branch: 22 months for the
ArmyThe Republic of Korea Army is by far the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 522,000 members as of 2008. This size is maintained through conscription, South Korean men must complete 24 months of military service between graduation of high school and the age of 35...
and Marine Corps, 24 months for the
NavyThe Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is a branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
and 26 months for the
Air ForceThe Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea. It operates under the Ministry of National Defense....
. Recently, however, there has been significant pressure from the public demanding either a shortening of the term or a switch to voluntary military service.
In the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, ranks fall into one of four categories: commissioned officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer, and enlisted, in decreasing order of authority. Commissioned officer ranks are further subdivided into "
Janggwan" or general officers, "
Yeonggwan" or field grade officers, and "
Wigwan" or company officers. The "
Wonsu" is appointed from the "
Daejang" who has distinguished achievements. However, there has been no one holding the rank of "Wonsu" in the history of the ROK Armed Forces. All branches share a common rank-system, with different colors used to denote the different branches (Army: Green & Black, Navy: White & Black, Marine Corps: Red & Yellow, Air Force: Green & Blue).
Note: The English titles are given as comparative examples with the US Army ranks.
Vietnam War
March 10, 1965 – March 23, 1973
Total deployed: 312,853
KIA: 4,960
WIA: 10,962
Gulf War
| Start Date |
End Date |
Unit Name |
Deployed |
Death |
Other Casualty |
Notes |
| KIA |
Other |
Total |
WIA |
MIA |
POW |
| January 24, 1991 |
April 10, 1991 |
|
154 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
medical support to coalition forces |
| February 24, 1991 |
April 10, 1991 |
|
160 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
aerial supply transportation |
War in Afghanistan
| Start Date |
End Date |
Unit Name |
Deployed |
Death |
Other Casualty |
Notes |
| KIA |
Other |
Total |
WIA |
MIA |
POW |
| November 2001 |
ongoing |
|
28 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
USCENTCOM assistance officer |
| November 2001 |
ongoing |
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
USCENTCOM staff officer |
| December 18, 2001 |
September 1, 2003 |
|
823 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
naval supply transportation |
| Decemberr 21, 2001 |
December 20, 2003 |
|
446 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
aerial supply transportation |
| February 27, 2002 |
December 14, 2007 |
Dasan |
1,330 |
1 Yoon Jang-ho was a sergeant serving as an English translator in Afghanistan as a member of the Dasan Engineering Unit, which is part of the South Korean military. He was killed during a suicide bomb attack on a military base in Bagram on February 27, 2007...
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
engineering support to coalition forces and local |
| February 27, 2002 |
December 14, 2007 |
Dongeui |
782 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
medical support to coalition forces and local |
| March 28, 2002 |
December 4, 2008 |
|
22 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
CJTF-101 assistance officer |
| July 2002 |
January 26, 2007 |
|
9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
CFC-A staff officer |
| April 22, 2008 |
ongoing |
|
11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Provincial Reconstruction TeamA Provincial Reconstruction Team is a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in late 2001 or...
|
Iraq War
| Start Date |
End Date |
Unit Name |
Deployed |
Death |
Other Casualty |
Notes |
| KIA |
Other |
Total |
WIA |
MIA |
POW |
| February 12, 2003 |
December 19, 2008 |
|
49 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
MNF-I assistance officer |
| April 30, 2003 |
September 30, 2004 |
Jema |
185 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
medical support to coalition forces |
| April 30, 2003 |
September 30, 2004 |
Seohui |
956 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
engineering support to coalition forces |
| August 7, 2003 |
December 19, 2008 |
|
82 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
MNF-I staff officer |
| April 23, 2004 |
December 30, 2008 |
Zaytun The Zaytun Division was a contingent of Republic of Korea Army troops operating in Northern Iraq from September 2004 to December 2008, carrying out peacekeeping and reconstruction tasks.-Formation:...
|
17,708 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
security and reconstruction in Arbil Arbil is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and is the third-largest city in Iraq after Baghdad and Mosul. The city lies eighty kilometres east of Mosul...
, Iraqi KurdistanIraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region also referred to as Southern Kurdistan as part of Greater Kurdistan is an autonomous, federally recognized region of Iraq...
|
| October 12, 2004 |
December 21, 2008 |
Daiman |
1,324 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
aerial supply transportation |
| December 1, 2005 |
December 17, 2008 |
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
local reconstruction team |
Coast of Somalia
January 16, 2008 – ongoing
Total deployed: 312
ROKN organized Cheonghae, an anti-piracy unit, in March 3, 2009 to protect South Korean commercial ships from pirates. The unit is composed of a 4,500t KD-II destroyer, Super Lynx, and 30 UDT/SEAL special forces.
UN peacekeeping operations
|- align="center"
|
Name of PKO ||
Location ||
Date Started||
Date Ended||
Unit||
Troops Deployed||
KIA||
WIA||
Notes
|- align="center"
|
UNOSOM IIUnited Nations Operation in Somalia II was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia, from March 1993 until March 1995....
|| || July 30, 1993 || March 18, 1994 || Sangroksu || 516 || 0 || 0 || engineering unit
|- align="center"
| MINURSO || Western Sahara
Western SaharaWestern Sahara is a territory of North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of...
|| August 9, 1994 || May 15, 2006 || - || 542 || 0 || 0 || medical unit
|- align="center"
| UNMOGIP ||
|| November, 1994 || ongoing || - || 130 || 0 || 0 || military observer
|- align="center"
| UNOMIG || || November, 1994 || ongoing || - || 86 || 0 || 0 || military observer
|- align="center"
| UNAVEM III || || October 5, 1995 || December 23, 1996 || - || 600 || 0 || 0 || engineering unit
|- align="center"
| UNTAET
UNMISET || East Timor
East TimorEast Timor, also known as Timor-Leste is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecussi-Ambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
|| October 4, 1999
January 16, 2000 || October 23, 2003
June 4, 2004 || Sangroksu
- || 3,283
45 || 0
0 || 0
0 || infantry and reconstruction unit
staff and liaison officer
|- align="center"
| UNFICYP || || January 4, 2002 || December 23, 2003 || - || 1 || 0 || 0 || Commander of UNFICYP
|-----
|- align="center"
| UNAMA || || July, 2003 || ongoing || - || 6 || 0 || 0 || -
|-----
|- align="center"
| UNMIL || Liberia
LiberiaLiberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2008 Census, the nation is home to 3,476,608 people and covers ....
|| October, 2003 || ongoing || - || 12 || 0 || 0 || military observer
|-----
|- align="center"
| ONUB || Burundi
BurundiBurundi , officially the Republic of Burundi, is a country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its size is just under 28,000 km² with an estimated population of...
|| September 15, 2004 || December 11, 2006 || - || 4 || 0 || 0 || -
|-----
|- align="center"
| UNMIS || || November, 2005 || ongoing || - || 27 || 0 || 0 || military observer
|-----
|- align="center"
| UNMIN || || March, 2007 || ongoing || - || 5 || 1 || 0 || military observer
|-----
|- align="center"
| UNIFIL || || July 4, 2007 || ongoing || Dongmyeong || 1,404 || 0 || 0 || infantry and reconstruction unit; security task in
TyreTyre is a city in the South Governorate of Lebanon...
|-----
|}
See also
- Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff
Headquarters Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff is a group of Chiefs from each major branch of the armed services in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. Unlike his/her United States counterpart, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has Operational Control over all military personnel of...
- Republic of Korea Reserve Forces
- Military of North Korea
- KATUSA
KATUSA stands for Korean Augmentation To the United States Army. Military service is mandatory for all male citizens of South Korea. Many Korean men who speak English become KATUSA soldiers so they can serve their time in a United States Army unit rather than in the Republic of Korea Army. It's...
(Korean Augmentation to US Army)
- United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea refers to the ground, air and naval divisions of the United States armed forces stationed in South Korea.Major components of the force include the Eighth United States Army, the Seventh Air Force and U.S...
(USFK)
- List of military equipment of Republic of Korea
- Order of Military Merit (Korea)
The Order of Military Merit is the primary military decoration awarded by the government of Republic of Korea.-Classes of the Order:The order is divided into five classes:...
- KATCOM (Koreans attached to Commonwealth Units)
External links