History UsefulNotes / SouthKoreansWithMarines

The ROK Air Force is the air arm of the Korean armed forces. It has 600 American-designed planes, most of them F-4 Phantom [=IIs=], F-5 Tiger [=IIs=], and F-16 Fighting Falcons, but it is currently modernizing its fleet with the F-15K Slam Eagle and the F-35A. It is also participating in the development and production of indigenous aircraft, with the T-50[=/=]FA=50 Golden Eagle (unrelated to the F-15) trainer/attack fighter. The ROK Air Force wants to have JDAM bombs and attack drones so that their aircraft have better MacrossMissileMassacre ability.

* ROK forces are a thorn in your side in the Soviet Campaign of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'', conducting a raid on the Russian Far East and screwing up your invasion of Hawaii. They also get quite possibly the most awesome special unit on the Allied side in multiplayer/skirmish mode: the Black Eagle, a better version of the usual Allied Harrier fighter plane.

The ROK Air Force is the air arm of the Korean armed forces. It has 600 American-designed planes, most of them F-4 Phantom [=IIs=], F-5 Tiger [=IIs=], and F-16 Fighting Falcons, but it is currently including the F-15E Strike Eagle and the T-50 Golden Eagle (unrelated to the former) trainer/attack fighter. The ROK Air Force wants to have JDAM bombs and attack drones so that their aircraft have better MacrossMissileMassacre ability.

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 Korean soldiers appear in the Seoul mission in ''VideoGame/SplinterCellChaosTheory''. Notably, they are just as hostile to Sam as North Korean soldiers are, if only because a guy in a full black suit with guns and tools strapped all over sneaking around an active warzone would look pretty suspicious to anyone.

After the Armistice in 1953 which paused the [[UsefulNotes/KoreanWar Korean War]], the [[TheAlliance United Nations Command (UNC)]], the multinational agency created by the UN and placed under American command eventually wound down its mission as the contributing nations withdrew their forces. The United States and South Korea signed a military alliance later and a status of forces agreement to keep [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks American troops]] in the country under the auspices of US Forces-Korea (USFK).

Combined Forces Command (CFC) was created by the ROK and the United States later in 1978, totally separate from the United Nations Command, by which time the United States was the only foreign country with a significant military presence on the Korean peninsula. CFC is headed by an American four star officer (who is also Commander of United Nations Command and US Forces-Korea) with an ROK officer as deputy.

The CFC arrangement has caused resentment in South Koreans because the officer who would lead their armies to war answers to the Pentagon, not UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}}. This put the United States in a unpopular position when it was perceived to be supporting South Korea's [[TheSpyMaster intelligence chief]] and strongman, Lt General Chun Doo-hwan, during the 1980 crackdown at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_massacre Gwangju]].

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 ROK military deployments in [[WaronTerror Afghanistan]] and [[IraqWar Iraq]] were undertaken on the initiative of its government and OPCON of their forces fell to ISAF (NATO JFC-Brunssum) or 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 an ROK contribution to [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam]].

There has been recent debate within South Korea, whether it should retain total OPCON 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).

Combined Forces Command (CFC) was created by the ROK and the United States later in 1978, totally separate from the United Nations Command, by which time the United States was the only foreign country with a significant military presence on the Korean peninsula. CFC is headed by an American four star officer (and dual hatting with USFK, rather like how NATO's Supreme Commander is also commanding officer of US European Command) with an ROK officer as deputy.

In the event of war on the Korean Peninsula (most likely the Korean War unpausing), the defense of South Korea would be coordinated from CFC, meaning that all South Korean forces will be commanded by an American officer. UNC exists to this day but as an entity devoid of muscle but it could be [[GondorCallsForAid reactivated]] in the event other countries wish to commit their forces to help in the defense of South Korea. Components of UNC remain functional such as UNC Rear based at Yokota airbase, Japan. It is through the UNC where member countries send troops to train with South Korean forces.

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 ROK military deployments in [[WaronTerror Afghanistan]] and [[IraqWar Iraq]] were undertaken on the initiative of its government and OPCON of their forces fell to ISAF (NATO) or Multinational Force-Iraq (USCENTCOM) respectively, not CFC.

There has been recent debate within South Korea, whether it should retain total OPCON in the event of war on the Korean Peninsula, thus ending the need for CFC. 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).

Currently, they are designing their answer to the F-22, though it seems to be in DevelopmentHell.

South Korea has mandatory military conscription - every Korean male, with very few exceptions, serves about 2 years in the military after graduation.

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. 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.

There has been recent debate within South Korea, whether it should retain total OPCON in the event of war on the Korean Peninsular, thus ending the need for CFC. 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).

{{Eagle Squadron}}, except that they serve with [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks U.S. Forces]] in South Korea. Young Korean men have to pass English proficiency tests then are selected by lottery for training. After training, they serve with U.S. units in Korea. Many families would like to see their sons enter the KATUSA program because of the ROK Army and Marines {{training from hell}}/{{Spartan Way}}. KATUSA soldiers do enjoy their time with U.S. units. However if they fail a PT test or violate U.S. and ROK military regulations they get [[OhCrap sent back]] to a ROK Army unit.

* Both alive and [[TechnicallyLivingZombie infected]] personnel of the ROK Army appear in ''Film/TrainToBusan''. [[spoiler: They are even stated to have secured Busan as a safe zone, a historical CallBack to the [[UsefulNotes/KoreanWar Korean War. Sadly, we do not see them kicking zombie ass though.]]]]

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 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]].

Conscription is mandatory for males 18 and above for at least two years. It is regarded as a SeriousBusiness for South Koreans and being convicted of draft dodging comes with a mandatory ten year prison sentence, even for conscientious objectors. Actors and entertainers all have to put their careers on hold to fulfill their obligations and any misbehavior during their time in service can result in their fanbases turning on them and permanently damaging their careers. Failure to fulfill one's obligation, barring severe medical issues, is considered an embarrassment in Korean society and can result in humiliation and ostracism.

The South Korean Armed Forces is modeled after the way the U.S. military worked between the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Act_of_1947 National Security Act of 1947]] and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater%E2%80%93Nichols_Act Goldwater-Nichols Act]] of 1986; this means that while the chain of command runs from the President through the Minister of National Defense, advised by career military Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Chiefs are also in the operational chain of command of their respective branches, rather than serving as advisors with command running directly from the civilian officials to combatant commands. This difference is rendered irrelevant by the nature of South Korea's defense needs: the U.S. has a combatant command for each theater of operations plus one each for special forces, nuclear weapons, and logistics. However, South Korea only has one theater of operations to speak of (''[[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea ahem]]''), has no nukes, and (being a geographically small country with precisely one military enemy worth talking about) its special forces and logistics needs don't require a top-level command, so the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is basically the commander for the country's lone combatant command. Also borrowed from the UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks is the presence of a quasi-independent Marine Corps theoretically subordinate to the Navy but really an elite combined-arms fourth branch of the military. In addition to the US influence, however, because a large number of combat-experienced Koreans who served in the [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun Imperial Japanese armed forces]] during UsefulNotes/WorldWar2 played an instrumental role in setting up South Korean military in the beginning, there was a distinctive Japanese flavor in its early days. This was often remarked on by the Vietnamese during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, to whom South Koreans (who sent a sizable contingent to support US in that conflict) looked like a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute to the Japanese whom they had to deal with a couple of decades before. Furthermore, since many of these Korean veterans of Japanese military had often fought against Leftist Korean guerrillas as Japanese soldiers, this often becomes a point of controversy in South Korean politics.

* Featured prominently in the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar film ''Taegukgi''.

* Also the subject of the Korean movie ''Joint Security Area.''
* Korean soldiers are the main characters in two Korean horror movies directed by Kong Su-Chang. R-Point, set in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and The Guard Post, set on the DMZ in modern day Korea. The Other Wiki has detailed synopses of both.

* Every so often, ROK military personnel show up in, well, ''Series/{{Mash}}''.

* The South Korean Army appears in ''{{Mercenaries}}'' as one of the factions invading North Korea. They are depicted as being supported by the American CIA, and are equipped at the same level as the Allied Nations expedition.

* ''Franchise/Tekken'': Hwoarang was drafted into the ROK Army in Tekken 4. Soldiers and an officer appear in his ending demanding him to surrender. Instead, both Jin Kazama and Hwoarang knock out a few of them before evading their hail of automatic gunfire.

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 ever since (even releasing a video where he gets on his knees and tearfully grovels), but the courts 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]].

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''. He's been quite literally begging to be let back into the country ever since (even releasing a video where he gets on his knees and tearfully grovels), but the courts refuse to change the decision and a public opinion poll showed that Koreans support the government in this matter.

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. Bizarrely enough, they also have 35 [[RedsWithRockets T-80]] [[TricoloursWithRustingRockets tanks]] and 70 BMP-3 armored personnel carriers that were given as part of a payment of debts the Russians owed them.

South Korea is a key ally of the United States; it is said that losing South Korea (to North Korea or China) would be disastrous for America, and Japan is having doubts about America's ability to protect the region and is considering whether it should make its own KaijuDefenseForce as badass as shown in anime. Japan's concerns have been curbed somewhat by a new American foreign policy emphasizing focus on East Asia and the Pacific, although confidence is a bit shaky once again.

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 [[{{KaijuDefenseForce}} eastern neighbor and rival]].

** They get more zombie-killing action in ''Animation/SeoulStation'' but are portrayed as the bad guys.

The Republic of Korea Armed Forces was founded in 1948 in response to North Korean attacks leading to the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar. Most of the army at that time was more like a gendarmerie than a full army; when the North rolled its troops across the South, they curbstomped South Korea, until the United States decided to step in (and for a while afterward); the ROKAF later TookALevelInBadass, but a [[ChineseWithChopperSupport Chinese]] [[strike:mercenary]] [[BlatantLies voluntary]] army was sent by Mao Zedong, partly to help Kim Il-sung, partly because Mao feared China would be attacked by the U.S. via Manchuria and partly because Mao wanted to avoid having northern China flooded with North Korean refugees; a grinding war ensued until 1953, ending with Korea still being divided into two.

The South Korean Armed Forces is modeled after the way the U.S. military worked between the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Act_of_1947 National Security Act of 1947]] and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater%E2%80%93Nichols_Act Goldwater-Nichols Act]] of 1986; this means that while the chain of command runs from the President through the Minister of National Defense, advised by career military Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Chiefs are also in the operational chain of command of their respective branches, rather than serving as advisors with command running directly from the civilian officials to combatant commands. This difference is rendered irrelevant by the nature of South Korea's defense needs: the U.S. has a combatant command for each theater of operations plus one each for special forces, nuclear weapons, and logistics. However, South Korea only has one theater of operations to speak of (''[[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea ahem]]''), has no nukes, and (being a geographically small country with precisely one military enemy worth talking about) its special forces and logistics needs don't require a top-level command, so the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is basically the commander for the country's lone combatant command. Also borrowed from the YanksWithTanks is the presence of a quasi-independent Marine Corps theoretically subordinate to the Navy but really an elite combined-arms fourth branch of the military. In addition to the US influence, however, because a large number of combat-experienced Koreans who served in the [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun Imperial Japanese armed forces]] during UsefulNotes/WorldWar2 played an instrumental role in setting up South Korean military in the beginning, there was a distinctive Japanese flavor in its early days. This was often remarked on by the Vietnamese during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, to whom South Koreans (who sent a sizable contingent to support US in that conflict) looked like a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute to the Japanese whom they had to deal with a couple of decades before. Furthermore, since many of these Korean veterans of Japanese military had often fought against Leftist Korean guerrillas as Japanese soldiers, this often becomes a point of controversy in South Korean politics.

{{Eagle Squadron}}, except that they serve with [[YankswithTanks U.S. Forces]] in South Korea. Young Korean men have to pass English proficiency tests then are selected by lottery for training. After training, they serve with U.S. units in Korea. Many families would like to see their sons enter the KATUSA program because of the ROK Army and Marines {{training from hell}}/{{Spartan Way}}. KATUSA soldiers do enjoy their time with U.S. units. However if they fail a PT test or violate U.S. and ROK military regulations they get [[OhCrap sent back]] to a ROK Army unit.

After the Armistice in 1953 which paused the [[UsefulNotes/KoreanWar Korean War]], the [[TheAlliance United Nations Command (UNC)]], the multinational agency created by the UN and placed under American command eventually wound down its mission as the contributing nations withdrew their forces. The United States and South Korea signed a military alliance later and a status of forces agreement to keep [[YankswithTanks American troops]] in the country under the auspices of US Forces-Korea (USFK).

South Korea is a key ally of the United States; it is said that losing South Korea (to North Korea or China) would be disastrous for America, and Japan is having doubts about America's ability to protect the region and is considering whether it should make its own KaijuDefenseForce as badass as shown in anime. Japan's concerns have been curbed somewhat by a new American foreign policy emphasizing focus on East Asia and the Pacific, although confidence is a bit shaky once again, now that [[DonaldTrump the new guy in Washington]] has mentioned [[DealWithTheDevil making some kind of deal]] with Pyongyang.

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. 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''. He's been quite literally begging to be let back into the country ever since (even releasing a video where he gets on his knees and tearfully grovels), but the courts refuse to change the decision and a public opinion poll showed that Koreans support the government in this matter.

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 [[ArsonMuderAndJaywalking visiting girlfriends]] while on active duty) led to the army entertainment unit being permanently disbanded. 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''. He's been quite literally begging to be let back into the country ever since (even releasing a video where he gets on his knees and tearfully grovels), but the courts refuse to change the decision and a public opinion poll showed that Koreans support the government in this matter.

Conscription is mandatory for males 18 and above for at least two years. It is regarded as a SeriousBusiness for South Koreans and being convicted of draft dodging comes with a mandatory ten year prison sentence, even for conscientious objectors. Actors and entertainers all have to put their careers on hold to fulfill their obligations and any misbehavior during their time in service can result in their fanbases turning on them and permanently damaging their careers. Failure to fulfill one's obligation, barring severe medical issues, is considered an embarassment in Korean society and can result in humiliation and ostracization. In fact when Yoo Seung-jun, a one-time popular entertainer, 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'' and a public opinion poll showed that Koreans overwhelmingly supported the decision.

South Korea is a key ally of the United States; it is said that losing South Korea (to North Korea or China) would be disastrous for America, and Japan is having doubts about America's ability to protect the region and is considering whether it should make its own KaijuDefenseForce as badass as shown in anime. Japan's concerns have been curbed somewhat by a new American foreign policy emphasizing focus on East Asia and the Pacific.

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''.