History UsefulNotes / SouthKoreansWithMarines

* Among the currently playable Operators in ''VideoGame/RainbowSixSiege'' are Grace "Dokkaebi" Nam and Chul Kyung "Vigil" Hwa from the (then-known as) 707th Special Mission Battalion, released as part of the ''Operation White Noise'' update in 2017.

To show just how seriously military service is, Music/{{Psy}} was actually forced to reenlist when the government determined that he hadn't satisfactorily completed his obligation to the country[[note]]He'd originally been given special permission to work at a software company rather than complete active military service as part of a government policy trying to encourage people go into STEM fields but actually spent his time continuing his music career. He was then required to complete two years with an active duty army unit to make up for his indiscretion[[/note]], and the misbehavior of many singers (including drinking binges, frequenting massage parlors, or just [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking visiting girlfriends]] while on active duty) led to the army entertainment unit being permanently disbanded and its members being reassigned to front line combat units. In fact when singer Yoo Seung-jun, at the height of his fame, renounced his Korean citizenship and became a naturalized US citizen to avoid the draft, the Korean government responded by ''banning him from ever entering the country again''.[[note]]The controversy was compounded by the fact that he'd made public statements swearing he'd complete his obligation. Since then, he's filed appeals and tried literally begging to be let back into the country (even releasing a video where he gets on his knees and tearfully grovels), but the courts (predictably) refused to change the decision and a public opinion poll showed that Koreans support the government in this matter. A final legal appeal failed in 2017 and he now has no hope of ever legally coming to Korea again.[[/note]]

The South Korean navy is currently building up its forces with ambitions of becoming a blue-water navy capable of global force projection. This includes the construction of some of the world's most-advanced, AEGIS-equipped destroyers, frigates, and amphibious assault ships. A dedicated aircraft carrier, capable of fielding [=F-35B=] fighters is also in development.

To show just how seriously military service is, Music/{{Psy}} was actually forced to reenlist when the government determined that he hadn't satisfactorily completed his obligation to the country[[note]]He'd originally been given special permission to work at a software company rather than complete active military service as part of a government policy trying to encourage people go into STEM fields but actually spent his time continuing his music career. He was then required to complete two years with an active duty army unit to make up for his indiscretion[[/note]], and the misbehavior of many singers (including drinking binges, frequenting massage parlors, or just [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking visiting girlfriends]] while on active duty) led to the army entertainment unit being permanently disbanded and its members being reassigned to front line combat units. In fact when singer Yoo Seung-jun, at the height of his fame, renounced his Korean citizenship and became a naturalized US citizen to avoid the draft, the Korean government responded by ''banning him from ever entering the country again''[[note]]The controversy was compounded by the fact that he'd made public statements swearing he'd complete his obligation. Since then, he's filed appeals and tried literally begging to be let back into the country (even releasing a video where he gets on his knees and tearfully grovels), but the courts (predictably) refused to change the decision and a public opinion poll showed that Koreans support the government in this matter. A final legal appeal failed in 2017 and he now has no hope of ever legally coming to Korea again. Good riddance[[/note]].

* In ''VideoGame/WorldWar3'', he ROK 707th Special Mission Group was one of the new factions added in ''Operation Redline'' DLC alongside [[UsefulNotes/ChineseWithChopperSupport People's Liberation Army]], the same DLC also features the new DMZ map, which as in its name set in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Due to the North Korean threat, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces have a large budget[[note]]the South's military budget is greater than the North's ''entire GDP'', although that says more about the North's terrible economic situation than Southern warmongering[[/note]]. When South Korea's economy grew in the 1960s and 1970s, then-President Park Chung-hee encouraged military industry, first by making licensed copies of American military equipment, and later indigenous designs. This led to the South Korean military-industrial complex being among the largest and most advanced and the country is now one of the world's top arms developers and exporters with one notable success being the K9 Thunder, a self-propelled howitzer that has claimed 50% of the global market.

The Republic of Korea Navy is building a light aircraft carrier and plans to be a blue-water navy by 2020...if the North doesn't invade before then.

The Republic of Korea Navy is the naval branch of the ROK armed forces. Many ROK navy men revere [[TheStrategist Admiral Yi Sun Shin]], who in the 16th century whacked a Japanese invasion fleet with his Turtle Boats, the world's first ironclads (according to some). The South Korean navy is currently building up its forces, having already introduced into service an amphibious assault ship and several modern AEGIS-capable destroyers, to make it a blue-water navy in 2020 like that of its [[UsefulNotes/KaijuDefenseForce eastern neighbor and rival]]. It is also developing its own aircraft carrier, capable of fielding [=F-35B=] fighters.

The first F-35 Lightning II's are now being delivered, as the air force's newest set of high-tech fighter jets.

Currently, they are developing the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAI_KF-X KF-21]] with support of the Indonesians. Supposed to match the F-35 in performance, it's development is progressing slowly but surely.

When South Korea's economy grew in the 1960s and 1970s, then-President Park Chung-hee encouraged military industry, first by making licensed copies of American military equipment, and later indigenous designs. Due to the North Korean threat, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces have a large budget[[note]]the South's military budget is greater than the North's ''entire GDP'', although that says more about the North's terrible economic situation than Southern warmongering[[/note]].

Currently, they are developing the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAI_KF-X KF-X]] with support of the Indonesians. Supposed to match the F-35 in performance, it's development is progressing slowly but surely.

South Korea's National Police Agency includes the Combat Police division. This is a paramilitary organization made up of military conscripts and primarily used for riot policing. Battalions are stationed throughout the country and can be quickly deployed anywhere within the country to respond to large-scale violence.

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHAl85RbS5w Videos of Combat Police training]] occasionally pop up on the internet to show how [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CallThatAFormation ancient Roman formation tactics]] are still applicable in the modern age.

The ROKA currently fields the K1 tank, which is as good as the M1 Abrams tank according to its creators, and the K200 and K21 series armored personnel carriers. They are currently producing and deploying the K2 tank, a next generation tank. Bizarrely enough, they also have 35 [[RedsWithRockets T-80]] [[UsefulNotes/RussiansWithRustingRockets tanks]] and 70 BMP-3 armored personnel carriers that were given as part of a payment of debts the Russians owed them.

To show just how seriously military service is, Music/{{Psy}} was actually forced to reenlist when the government determined that he hadn't satisfactorily completed his obligation to the country[[note]]He'd originally been given special permission to work at a software company rather than complete active military service as part of a government policy trying to encourage people go into STEM fields but actually spent his time continuing his music career. He was then required to complete two years with an active duty army unit to make up for his indiscretion[[/note]], and the misbehavior of many singers (including drinking binges, frequenting massage parlors, or just [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking visiting girlfriends]] while on active duty) led to the army entertainment unit being permanently disbanded and its members being reassigned to front line combat units. In fact when singer Yoo Seung-jun, at the height of his fame, renounced his Korean citizenship and became a naturalized US citizen to avoid the draft, the Korean government responded by ''banning him from ever entering the country again''[[note]]He tried literally begging to be let back into the country (even releasing a video where he gets on his knees and tearfully grovels), but the courts (predictably) refused to change the decision and a public opinion poll showed that Koreans support the government in this matter. A final legal appeal failed in 2017 and he now has no hope of ever legally coming to Korea again. Good riddance[[/note]].

There has been recent debate within South Korea, whether it should retain total operational control in the event of war on the Korean Peninsula, thus ending the need for Combined Forces Command. The government of Park Geun-hye postponed a decision on the matter which was due at the end of 2014. The debate is contentious, but it is substantially less acrimonious than it has been in past years, in large part because of the increasingly positive opinion the Korean public has for the US (as recently as the early 2000s, (South) Korean public opinion consistently hovered in the 60-70% ''anti''-US range, while at present that's almost reversed and South Koreans are among the most pro-American people in East Asia, although not ''quite'' so much as the Filipinos and--oddly--the Vietnamese).

* The [[NorthKoreansWithNodongs DPRK forces]] in ''VideoGame/{{Homefront}}'' are actually these; apart from the fact they use American-made weapons, it's strongly implied that a lot of them are actually South Koreans who are willingly and happily taking part in the process of bringing America down a peg.

The Republic of Korea Navy is the naval branch of the ROK armed forces. Many ROK navy men revere [[TheStrategist Admiral Yi Sun Shin]], who in the 16th century whacked a Japanese invasion fleet with his Turtle Boats, the world's first ironclads (according to some). The South Korean navy is currently building up its forces, having already introduced into service an amphibious assault ship/light carrier and several modern AEGIS-capable destroyers, to make it a blue-water navy in 2020 like that of its [[UsefulNotes/KaijuDefenseForce eastern neighbor and rival]].

In 1994 South Korea's government assumed all responsibility for its own military's affairs during peacetime. In the event of war however, operational control (OPCON) however falls to CFC. All South Korean deployments in [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam]], [[WaronTerror Afghanistan]] and [[IraqWar Iraq]] were undertaken on the initiative of its government and operational control fell to MAC-V (USPACOM), ISAF (NATO JFC-Brunssum) and Multinational Force-Iraq (USCENTCOM) respectively. The crux of the issue is that the Pentagon cannot order ROK forces to deploy beyond South Korea without its government's consent; not even during the Cold War when they had to go through President Park for troops to Vietnam.

The Republic of Korea Navy is the naval branch of the ROK armed forces. Many ROK navy men revere Admiral Yi Sun Shin, who in the 16th century whacked a Japanese invasion fleet with his Turtle Boats, the world's first ironclads (according to some). The South Korean navy is currently building up its forces, having already introduced into service an amphibious assault ship/light carrier and several modern AEGIS-capable destroyers, to make it a blue-water navy in 2020 like that of its [[UsefulNotes/KaijuDefenseForce eastern neighbor and rival]].

Currently, they are developing the s[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAI_KF-X KF-X]] with support of the Indonesians. Supposed to match the F-35 in performance, it's development is progressing slowly but surely.