Korea, South

Korea, South

South Korea

Republic of Korea

Capital: Seoul

Conscription service.

All South Korean males must complete 21 months of military service.

Demilitarized Zone

Stationary SGR-A1 robots are deployed along the DMZ. The robots are equipped with machine guns optical and infrared sensors that can identify friend or foe and also request passwords. The SGR-A1 is made by Samsung.

U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea:
Around 28,500 personnel
F-16 fighter aircraft

Space Program
Korea Aerospace Research Institute

South Korean made NARO-1 (Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 or KSLV-1) space rocket. Placed a STSAT-2C satellite in orbit on 30 JAN 2013.

Deployed cruise missiles.

Deployed ballistic missiles.
Deployed Remote Controlled Weapons Stations along the DMZ.

THAAD air defense missile system deployed in Seongju county of South Korea.

Republic of Korea Air Force

65,000 personnel

F-15K Slam Eagle fighter bomber aircraft (52)

F-16 fighter aircraft (169)

F-4 Phantom II (68)

F-5 Tiger II (170)

KAI T-50 Golden Eagle trainer/light attack aircraft. The series includes the T-50, TA-50 and FA-50 variants.

KAI KT-1 trainer aircraft. 

KAI KA-1 trainer/light attack variant of the KT-1

CASA CN-235 transport aircraft (20)

C-130 transport aircraft (12)

Boeing 737 AEW&C aircraft

BAe 125 Hawker 800 aircraft used for reconnaissance and signals intelligence (8)

RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft (18)

KAI KA-1 Woongbi forward air control and liaison aircraft (20)

Bell UH-1 Iroquois utility helicopters

Bell UH-1N Twin Huey utility helicopters

CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters

HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters

S-92 Super Hawk helicopters

Ka-32 Helix helicopters

AS.532 Cougar helicopters

Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (4)

Harpy unmanned aerial vehicles/loitering munitions?

South Korea is developing a tilt rotor UAV

Taurus cruise missiles on order. To be used on F-15 aircraft.

Air Defense

MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles

MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missiles

Mistral surface-to-air missiles

Republic of Korea Navy

68,000 personnel

170 vessels

70 aircraft

ROKS prefix to vessel names (Republic of Korea Ship)

Dokdo Class helicopter carrier (1)

Destroyers (12)

Frigates (12)

Corvettes (14)

Submarines (18)

Midget submarines (2)

Patrol Boats, Missile (24)

Patrol Boats (104)

Landing Ships (6)

Mine Warfare vessels (11)

Auxiliary vessels
Landing Craft (8)
Hovercraft

Naval Aviation

P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft
AW-159 helicopters

UH-60 helicopters

Lynx helicopters

UH-1 helicopters

Hyeonmu III cruise missiles (South Korean made)

Haeseong anti-ship missiles (South Korean made)

MM38 Exocet anti-ship missiles (retired?)

AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles (being phased out)

Sea Skua anti-ship missiles (fired from Lynx helicopters)

Cheongsangeo (Blue Shark) 324mm light torpedoes (South Korean made)

Baeksangeo (White Shark) 483mm heavy torpedoes (South Korean made)
Hongsangeo (Red Shark)- ASROC anti-submarine rockets

Naval Special Warfare Brigade

UDT

SEALs

Naval Intelligence

Marine Corps

27,000 personnel

K1A1 tanks 
M48A3 tanks
AAV7A1 (162)
K55 self propelled howitzers
KH-179 towed howitzers
SPIKE NLOS anti-tank guided missiles. Many of which have been deployed to the South Korean islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong.

(SPIKE NLOS with SM2 surface-to-air missiles used by the Korean Navy in the foreground)

Poniard 2.75 inch (70mm) guided rocket launcher. Used in anti-landing craft role.

Republic of Korea Army

520,000 personnel

Capital Defense Command

Guided Missile Command

Special Warfare Command

Hyunmoo-1 short range ballistic missiles. 180 km range.

Hyunmoo-2A short range ballistic missiles. 300 km range.

Hyunmoo-2B short range ballistic missiles. 500 km range.

Hyunmoo-3A cruise missiles. Ground launched. 500 km range

Hyunmoo-3B cruise missiles. Ground launched. 1,000 km range

Hyunmoo-3C cruise missiles. Ground launched. 1,500 km range.

MGM-140 ATACMS short range ballistic missiles fired from the M270 multiple rocket launcher.

The Hyunmoo-1 and the Hyunmoo-2 were believed to have been developed from the Nike Hercules surface-to-air missile. The Hyunmoo-3 is an indigenous designed cruise missile.

Hyunmoo 1 ballistic missiles

Hyunmoo 2 ballistic missiles

Hyunmoo 3 cruise missiles

Army Aviation

AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters (90)

MD 500 Defender helicopters used for light attack. Some equipped with TOW anti-tank missiles. (257)

Bo 105 light attack helicopters (12)

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters (140)

UH-1 utility helicopters (129)

CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters (23)
KAI KUH-1 Surion helicopters. Korean made.

K2 Black Panther tanks

K1A1 tanks (484)

K1 (Type 88) tanks (1,027)

M-48A5 tanks (500)

M-48A3 tanks (380)

T-80U tanks (33)

K200 infantry fighting vehicles (1,700)

K21 infantry fighting vehicles (60) Under mass production as of 2010.

BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles (70)

KAAV7A1 amphibious assault vehicles (190)

KM900 (Fiat 6614) armored personnel carriers (400) Licensed copy of the Italian Fiat 6614. Kept in reserve.

KMRAP Korean Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles

M113 armored personnel carriers (400)

Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle

Kia Light Tactical Vehicles (KLTV) series of 4x4 vehicles
KLTV181 armored personnel carrier
KLTV141 armored command vehicle
KLTV182 armored reconnaissance vehicle
KLTV223 cargo truck

KM420 4x4 utility vehicles

KM450 4x4 trucks

KM451 ambulance
KM452 shop truck
KM454 sheltered cargo truck
KM250 6x6 trucks
KM255 fuel tanker
KM256 water tanker
KM258 shop truck
KM500 6x6 trucks
KM504 expandable truck
KM508 spare parts truck
KM507 decontamination truck
KM1500 8x8 trucks
KM1501 Wrecker
KM1502 Tractor

Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) 6x6 wheeled vehicles with armored cabs.

BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles

AT-13 (9K115 Metis-M) anti-tank guided missiles

K-ATGM
Raybolt (Hyeongung) anti-tank guided missile launchers
 

Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank rocket launchers

M72 LAW anti-tank rocket launchers

M40 106mm recoilless guns

M-67 90mm recoilless guns

Daewoo K4 automatic 40mm grenade launchers

Daewoo K201 40mm under barrel grenade launchers. To replace the M203.

M203 40mm under barrel grenade launchers

K6 .50 cal machine guns (Licensed copy of the Browning M2 machine gun with modifications.)

K12 machine guns. 7.62x51mm. To eventually replace the M-60.

M-60D machine guns. 7.62x51mm (Licensed copy of the U.S. M-60)

Daewoo K3 machine guns. 5.56x45mm.

Daewoo K11 5.56mm assault rifle and 20mm grenade launcher.

Daewoo K2 assault rifles. 5.56x45mm. Standard issue.

Daewoo K1 carbine. 5.56x45mm. Standard issue.

M-16 assault rifles (Licensed copy of the U.S. M-16. Used by reserves)

K7 silenced sub-machine guns. 9mm.

Daewoo K5 9mm pistols. Standard issue.

K532 self propelled 107mm (4.2 inch) gun/mortar.(500)

K242A1 self propelled 107mm mortars

K281A1 self propelled 81mm mortars

K-MLRS Chun Moo multi caliber multiple rocket launchers. Capable of firing 130mm, 227mm, and 230mm rockets.

M270 MLRS 227mm multiple rocket launchers (90)

K136A1 Kooryong 130mm multiple rocket launchers on a Kia 5 ton truck. (156)

Hanwha 70mm multiple rocket launchers. Project jointly developed between South Korea and Jordan. Still under development?

K-9 Thunder self propelled 155mm howitzers Still under production. (532)

K55 self propelled 155mm howitzers. Licensed built copy of the U.S. M109. (1,040)
EVO 105- M101 105mm howitzer mounted on a truck.

M107 self propelled 175mm howitzers. Kept in reserve or storage. (100)

M114 towed 155mm howitzers (850) Kept in reserve or storage.

KH-179 towed 155mm howitzers (1,000+)

KH-178 towed 105mm howitzer (24)

KH101A1 towed 105mm howitzers. Licensed copy of the U.S. M101. (700)

M101 towed 105mm howitzers. Kept in reserve or storage (2300)

Air Defense
KM-SAM medium range surface-to-air missile system

K-SAM Chun ma (Pegasus) surface-to-air missiles- Self propelled. Short range missiles. Crotale NG with Korean design.(120)

KP-SAM Shingung surface-to-air missiles. Man portable system similar to the Mistral.

Mistral surface-to-air missiles (406)

SA-16 (Igla-1E) shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles.(50)

Javelin surface-to-air missiles. British made.

FIM-92 Stinger shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles
K30 Biho self propelled 30mm anti-aircraft guns (176)

K263A1 Chungung self propelled 20mm Vulcan gun (520)

Oerlikon towed 35mm anti-aircraft guns using the Skyguard system (Two guns linked to one radar)
M167 Vulcan towed 20mm anti-aircraft guns

M45 quadruple .50 cal machine guns

Special Forces

1^stSpecial Forces Brigade (Airborne) �Eagle�

3^rdSpecial Forces Brigade (Airborne) �Flying Tiger�

5^thSpecial Forces Brigade (Airborne) �Black Dragon�

7^thSpecial Forces Brigade (Airborne) �Pegasus�

9^thSpecial Forces Brigade (Airborne) �Ghost�

11^thSpecial Forces Brigade (Airborne) �Golden Bat�

13^thSpecial Forces Brigade (Airborne) �Black Panther�

707th Special Mission Battalion

Coast Guard

Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)- DAPA is responsible for Korean defense acquisitions. Consists of two branches.

Agency for Defense Development (ADD)- Develop weapons and dual purpose technology.

Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ)- Planning, information management, and Quality Assurance.

South Korean Intelligence

Companies

Daewoo

Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI)

Samsung

Kia

Hyundai

Hanwha Corporation
Hanjin Heavy Industries
LIG Nex1

South Korea military pictures