Republic of Korea Army

"Being part of the Republic of Korea Army is as good as it would compare. Being part of it is what I always do. I'm a soldier in there. I serve in that armed forces where I am in now. This is what I have to defend not only my country, but also my village as well."

--Su Ji-Hoon, Prologue

The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; Korean: 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國 陸軍; 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.

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.

History
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.