South Korea Army

The Republic of Korea Army is headquartered at Gyeryongdae in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province. Command structure rests on two operational commands: Ground Operations Command based in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and Second Operational Command based in Daegu. Ground Operations Command manages forward defensive sectors along the Military Demarcation Line through regional corps—including Capital Corps, I Corps, II Corps, III Corps, and V Corps—and VII Maneuver Corps, which contains concentrated armored and mechanized formations. Second Operational Command controls rear-area homeland defense divisions across southern provinces. Functional commands include Army Special Warfare Command, Army Missile Command, Army Aviation Command, Army Logistics Command, and Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Armored formations operate K2 Black Panther, K1A1, and K1A2 main battle tanks, with M48A5K tanks held by secondary and reserve units. Mechanized infantry units field K21 tracked infantry fighting vehicles, K200 tracked armored personnel carriers, and K808 Baekho wheeled armored vehicles. Field artillery formations employ K9 and K9A1 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, K55A1 self-propelled howitzers, and K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems. Long-range strike capability is fielded by Army Missile Command using KTSSM tactical surface-to-surface missiles and Hyunmoo ballistic and cruise missiles. Air defense assets include K30 Biho self-propelled twin-30mm gun systems, K-SAM Chunma short-range surface-to-air missile platforms, and Cheongung medium-range missile batteries. Army Aviation operates AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, Light Armed Helicopters, KUH-1 Surion transport helicopters, and CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.

The primary mission of ground forces is land defense against North Korean aggression and maintaining defensive positions along the Demarcation Line. During wartime, army formations integrate into the binational Republic of Korea and United States Combined Forces Command. Combat experience includes the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Overseas operations consist of peacekeeping and stabilization missions under United Nations mandates, including the Dongmyeong unit in Lebanon and the Hanbit unit in South Sudan.

Modernization programs center on the Army TIGER framework, incorporating manned-unmanned teaming, artificial intelligence, networked command systems, and tactical unmanned aerial systems. Equipment programs include production batches of K2 Black Panther tanks, introduction of the Light Armed Helicopter, and automated loading upgrades under the K9A2 self-propelled howitzer initiative.