The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; Korean: ; Hanja: ; Revised

Romanization: Daehanminguk Yuk-gun), also known as the ROK Army, is the army of South Korea,
responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean
armed forces with 495,000 members as of 2014. This size is maintained through conscription; South
Korean men must complete 21 months of military service between the age of 18 and 35. [8]
The army will take the brunt of the personnel reduction planned as part of the Defense Reform 307.
Associated with this personnel reduction would be a significant reduction in the ROK Army force
structure, in particular decreasing the current force of 47 divisions (active duty/reserve) and 495,000
soldiers down to a force of about 38 divisions (active duty/reserve) and 400,000 soldiers. [9]
Contents
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1History
o

1.1Today

2Equipment

3Organization
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3.1Republic of Korea Army Headquarters ( )

3.2First Republic of Korea Army (FROKA) ( 1 )

3.3Second Operational Command ( 2 )

3.4Third Republic of Korea Army (TROKA) ( 3 )

4Military ranks
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4.1Commissioned officers

4.2Warrant officers

4.3Non-Commissioned officers

4.4Enlisted

5See also

6References

7External links

History[edit]
Further information: Military history of South Korea

The modern South Korean army traces its lineage back to the Gwangmu Reform, when
the Beolgyegoon was established by Emperor Gojong in 1881. The 1st of every October is
celebrated in South Korea as Armed Forces Day. It commemorates the day during the Korean
War when units of the ROK Army first crossed the 38th Parallel, thus leading the UN Coalition north
into North Korean territory for the first time.

Today[edit]
The South Korean army is structured to operate in both the mountainous terrain native to the Korean
Peninsula (70% mountainous) and in North Korea with it 950,000 strong Korean People's Army
Ground Force, two-thirds of which is permanently garrisoned in the frontline near the DMZ. The
current administration has initiated a program over the next two decades to design a purely domestic
means of self-defense, whereby South Korea would be able to fully counter a North Korean attack.
The ROK Army was formerly organized into 3 armies: the First Army (FROKA), Third Army (TROKA)
and Second Operational Command. 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 2nd OC
formed the rearguard.
Under a restructuring plan aimed at reducing redundancy, the Second ROK Army was converted as
the Second Operational Command on October 31, 2007, and the First and Third ROK Armies will be
merged as the First Operations Command in 2014.