Do Any of You Have Stories of ROK Soldiers In Vietnam?

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 14:27:09 -0500

I was told the ROK Army was pretty vicious in Vietnam many years ago. I don't know if this is true or not.

Response by MAJ David Vermillion made Nov 6 at 2015 2:36 PM

MAJ David Vermillion — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 14:36:18 -0500

Served with soldiers of the ROK Army at the MACV Recondo School located in Nha Trang in 1969. They were good soldiers and tough in everyway. I have seen the Korean officers slap their enlisted soldiers if they got out of line. I also served with them again in Korea while commanding HHC, 2nd Infantry Division in 1978. Discipline was strict.

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2015 2:37 PM

1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 14:37:50 -0500

I have read the same. Brutal towards the Viet Cong.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2015 3:08 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 15:08:46 -0500

During Operation Pipestone Canyon, I shared a meal with the ROK Marines. The dog we ate was ok, but the rice turned my stomach because it was covered with flies. I did not see their handling of VC, but I had heard stories.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Nov 6 at 2015 3:13 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 15:13:15 -0500

My old civilian boss was a tanker and said they were fierce.

Response by CPT Jim Schwebach made Nov 6 at 2015 5:23 PM

CPT Jim Schwebach — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 17:23:14 -0500

My team spent a good deal of time in the woods with 30th ROK Regiment in Vietnam. I can't say enough about their level of discipline and proficiency in the field. Their battalion officers commonly accompanied their units to the field. Once in NDP it wasn't uncommon to see them conducting combat drills with the battalion commanders looking on. Firefights were generally short, massively to the point and with very few bad guys left to interrogate. They did not treat prisoners like they were innocent bystanders just wandering around in the woods. Most prisoners started talking pretty quick (they were scared shitless of the Koreans) but the ROKA did not hesitate to beat the whee out of them if they proved reticent. I never saw them skin anyone. One of the things I'm proudest of is the Regimental Commendation Medal I received from them after that op was over.

Response by Cpl Dennis F. made Nov 6 at 2015 5:28 PM

Cpl Dennis F. — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 17:28:19 -0500

The majority of my time spent in RVN I was attached to the ROKMC 2nd "Blue Dragon" brigade.

No, you did not want to fuck with them. If they took one round from a village, they hit back hard enough to hurt your ancestors. All living things were no longer, people chickens, pigs, dogs. They were rarely shot at twice. Large patrols were a country walk usually.

That said, they were incredibly dangerous to themselves and allies. They murdered our cook pver a disagreement, that resulted in a number of them being gunned down in the street by his friend. They would booby-trap their own bunkers to test incoming units. I once had a ROK capt pound the shit out of two mortar men after I had been hammering them over short rounds. I watch two of them step out of a rapidly fleeing Chinook 75 feet in the air and kick duds from a mortar attack with explosive results.

I also lived drank and ate and fought with them for about 9 months and became good friends with a NCO that woke me to daily kick my ass teaching me Tai Kwan Do. They were a mixed blessing but you had to admire their ROE. I have half a book full of ROKMC stories. BTW we abandoned much of their intelligence corps when we left in 73. They had it much worse than we did.

Response by PO2 Peter Klein made Nov 6 at 2015 10:11 PM

PO2 Peter Klein — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 22:11:32 -0500

Heard the same thing Major. Can't verify it either.

Response by SGT Thomas Lucken made Nov 7 at 2015 7:01 AM

SGT Thomas Lucken — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 07:01:38 -0500

Whitehorse and Tiger Divisions were there! But also a Division of ROK Marines! From my Vietnam buddies, the ROK Army was tought. But the ROK Marines were the vicious ones, they played the same rules as the VC and NVA, or worst! The North Vietnamese tried to avoid the ROKs when all possible from what I understand.

Response by SGT Michael Bond made Nov 7 at 2015 10:40 AM

SGT Michael Bond — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 10:40:36 -0500

I was with 4th ID 10th Cav. Ankhe Plieku AO, And yes the ROK Army was tough. Zero mistakes or severe punishment for them. They liked harvesting body parts, mostly heads.

Response by LTC Ed Ross made Nov 7 at 2015 2:42 PM

LTC Ed Ross — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 14:42:01 -0500

I was a clandestine Army operative in Na Trang in 1970. I can tell you first hand that our South Korean allies were indeed fierce fighters. I can also testify that their kim chi was more fierce than Vietnamese nouc man. The stories I have about the Koreans are not appropriate to this medium.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Feb 17 at 2016 4:39 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 16:39:36 -0500

The unit I was in 4th Div. did work with the Korean 17 th White Horse Div. in TUY HOA RVN and they were amazing soldiers their night patrolling ,ambushes and overall professionalism in infantry tactics was something to see.their officers and NCOs were brutal in discipline ,their morning PT even included contact karate.they were using M1s BARs and equipment left over from the Korean War.The Vietnamese from both sides of the border were terrified of them,but they seemed to really like the American GIs who shared their AOs

Response by TSgt Richard Logan made Mar 12 at 2016 11:26 PM

TSgt Richard Logan — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 23:26:21 -0500

I had the ROK tiger division attached to phu cat air base. During my time Charley rarely attacked the base. The tiger division left shortly after I did and the base was being attacked almost daily. The ROK's did make a difference.

Response by Joseph Cook made Mar 28 at 2017 10:41 PM

Joseph Cook — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 22:41:18 -0400

I was wandering if some you may be able to help?my Dad was with rok while in Vietnam. I'm trying to possibly find some solders who served with him. His name is Joseph Monroe Cook from Alabama. I know he would be delighted to reconnect with some of his brothers! Thanks for all the help

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Mar 31 at 2017 8:26 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 20:26:52 -0400

My brother in law was there when I was, I know he was present when General Chun had two of his soldiers shot for Rape and Kidnapping.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Mar 31 at 2017 8:35 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 20:35:16 -0400

I walked into the TOC one night and heard them getting ready to fire on a spot by counter mortar radar near the bridge across the Saigon River at Tu Da Mot. The jabber on the radio was NOT VIETNAMESE. I was able to determine that it was a Korean Engineer Unit working on the Bridge. They had taken some fire from the other side and started firing without getting it cleared. A lesson that almost got them killed

Response by CPT Carl Ford made Apr 6 at 2017 3:51 PM

CPT Carl Ford — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 15:51:29 -0400

When they operated in Darlac Province the VC went somewhere else. In a conversation with one of their CPTs, I got the impression that the highlight of his tour was filling his own private connex container with PX goodies to take back home. Well deserved I might add.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Apr 11 at 2017 8:08 AM

LtCol Robert Quinter — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 08:08:36 -0400

MAG 16 provided helicopter support to the ROK Marines on a regular basis. Yes, they were a very efficient and unforgiving combat unit that gave, nor expected quarter in combat.
I saw a graphic example of their disciplinary standards during one mission that went wrong. The weather was such that we could not climb to altitude and we were cruising along at about 20 feet when someone got lucky and sprayed the us with an AK. The shots laced the entire length of the aircraft, hitting my gunner in the leg and severing several fuel and hydraulic lines, causing us to lose an engine. My crew chief called out that the gunner was hit and I elected to nurse the bird long enough to get us to the hospital on the south end of the Marble Mountain facility. By the time I put her on the pad, there was a lot of smoke in the cabin and fuel and hydraulic fluid pouring from the overhead lines. All the Koreans ran out of the cabin and the corpsman and remaining gunner carried my wounded man out, turning him over to the hospital personnel. I shut down the aircraft and jumped out to go check on my Marine. As I went from the bird into the hospital, I noticed the ROKs in a formation with their squad leader moving from man to man beating the stuff out of each man. Their sin was they had abandoned the aircraft before he told them to move.
Side lights, I was one of the few pilots to have their aircraft towed through the gate at Marble rather than flying home. I was reunited with my gunner years later back at New River, N.C. when I was signing for a bird and he recognized me. He asked if I remembered him and when I didn't, he put his leg up on the line desk and showed me his healed wound. Of course I recognized him then and we had a nice reunion.

Response by CPT Scott Sharon made Apr 17 at 2017 9:13 PM

CPT Scott Sharon — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 21:13:53 -0400

My experience of the ROK soldiers was they were very disciplined and aggressive. All I saw were great soldiers. One thing that stands out in my memory is when I saw a company size ROK unit marching, they were a highly trained marching unit. They were all the same size and shape. I remember that because they were so different from a US unit. We had people of all sizes, colors, and shapes. The ROK's were identical and precise. I can still see them marching in my mind.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Apr 17 at 2017 9:30 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 21:30:03 -0400

Around October of 66 I was at Xuan Loc. North of us a Korean convoy was ambushed and surrounded on Hwy 1. I was getting ready to fly up there to coordinate artillery support but as it turned out the ROKs had totally routed the best part of a regiment of Viet Cong. The Cong Commander was relieved and Viet Cong forces were ordered to avoid contact with the ROKs

Response by SCPO Morris Ramsey made Apr 17 at 2017 9:55 PM

SCPO Morris Ramsey — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 21:55:10 -0400

MAJ Ken Landgren I was station with a FMF Chief Hospital Corpsman who worked with some ROKs. He told of one who was on a combat mission and took a round in his lower leg. When the brought him to the aid station the Chief was working triage and he asked the ROK if he wanted some morphine and he told him he did not need any. He was medivac'd to the hospital with no medications. The aircrew Corpsman said he made it to the hospital and went to surgery without medication. Two weeks later he was back with his unit.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Apr 17 at 2017 11:38 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 23:38:03 -0400

My uncle was with LRRP/4IDs Ranger Co in 1970. Briefly worked with the ROK forces. He said they were hardcore and the local VC/NVA were ordered to avoid the ROK forces and the men with green faces. I have seen documented sources that NVA units were to avoid certain units including the 101st (who they called the Screaming Chicken Men, they have no word for eagle), ROK units, LRRP/Ranger units (green faces), and a handful,of others.

Response by Cpl George Nelson made Apr 19 at 2017 10:45 PM

Cpl George Nelson — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 22:45:04 -0400

I was in the Marines in Quang Tri Province. There was a ROK compound between Quang Tri and Dong Ha. I was driving the s3 jeep (i know it was not a real jeep. However, it was referred to as a Jeep.) One day I drove north go Dong Ha and noticed a body hung head down over their wire. Dead, of course. I checked with the MPs at Dong Ha and was told it was a NVA infiltrator. We were always glad to have ROKS in the area. It kept everything quiet.

Response by SPC William Weedman made Apr 20 at 2017 5:07 PM

SPC William Weedman — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 17:07:50 -0400

When I served in Korea in the 1980s, I was told by a ROK soldier (brother of my KATUSA roommate) that the White Horse Division was the unit that deployed there and were asked to leave because they were brutal and did not follow the same ROE that the US and RVN followed. I interpreted that as they were too effective and scared the US and RVN commands.

Response by MSG James Hughs made Apr 21 at 2017 1:33 PM

MSG James Hughs — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 13:33:13 -0400

I have a long history with Koreans.... I even speak Korean..... But with regard to Vietnam..... my first in country encounter was near Tay Nin when they were waterboarding a VC.... I had to leave the scene.... My best friend was a Captain in the White Horse..... he told me he was convinced the local whores were intel ops for the VC....."Why would they hang out with underpaid Koreans when just down the road were high paid Americans"..... to compound his suspicions everytime his troops went out....no contact.....the VC just disappeared..... He decided to solve the problem..... he brought up a village whore to the company area.... cleaned up and dressed in an Au-Dai.... He then had her arms and legs tied to two jeeps and had he torn apart in front of the command...... Needless to say.....from then on he got all the action he could handle..... if it was not the VC....it was the local villagers....Koreans do not play
A captain Kim went to Staff Intel school with me..... at five he watched communists north koreans hack his parents to death in his living room..... he had a life long hatred of communists.... During a class on interrogation techniques Kim raised his hand.... He gave his credentials ( He ran an intel unit in Saigon....actually warned Korean unit a week ahead of the TET offensive) he said you can talk all you want about various interrogation techniques but I will tell you from experience nothing beats a lit cigarette to the nipples"....I thought the American instructor would have a heart attack....
Koreans do not play

Response by Cpl Lawrence Lavictoire made Apr 21 at 2017 6:03 PM

Cpl Lawrence Lavictoire — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 18:03:01 -0400

We had a platoon of ROK where I was stationed in PhuBai Vietnam back in 1968/69. Super well disciplined, that I do remember. We would patrol the north end of our air strip and they would patrol everywhere else if I remember. Got to get to know one guy I thing a corporal. Feed him beer on night till he got pretty spaced out and offered him a case of beer and some smokes for his combat shirt, "which I got: And right on the left front pocket was their Korean Marine Insignia. In fact I recently donated that shirt to a friend of mine who runs a military war museum in Terra Haute, In. If you want to see it, just go there! Yours truly had his photo taken holding the shirt for display purposes. How vicious are they? Not sure, but they sure can "kill a can of beer"!

Response by Ed Kim made Sep 6 at 2017 1:50 PM

Ed Kim — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 13:50:01 -0400

Thanks for these stories. As a Korean American any time a Vietnam War vet finds out that I'm of Korean descent they always remark on how "badass" the ROKs were. There are many ROK in Vietnam stories and I always give greater credence to the stories that have just one degree of separation vs. the more hearsay ones.

It's always different for me hearing these stories because these are my fathers and uncles generation we are talking about and I very seldomly saw them this vicious. Actually, in family life most Korean men can be downright gentle and dotting. However, they are always pretty strict disciplinarians. Take it from me, someone who's seen the backhand from my father more times then he would care to admit!

Some background on the ROK armed forces that help you understand why they were effective in Vietnam. The ROKs had fought this kind of war before. Just after WWII North Korea tried to take over the South by trying to establish a Korean version of the VietCong. However, many of the officers in the South Korean army were former officers in the Japanese army and learned Japanese methods of counter-insurgency, where were pretty fierce and brutal. The ROK army prior to the Korean War were extremely effective in counter-insurgency and the North Koreans knew they could not destabilize the South with guerrilla and partisan fighters alone. So, that's why they invaded with tanks in 1950. Now, the ROK forces from 1946 to 1950 were not trained or equipped to fight a regular force supported by tanks and air cover so they ran away.

Anyways, after the armistice in 1953, the North Koreans again tried to destabilize the South using mountain partisans, but like in 1948, that failed also because the South Koreans were still very good at counter-insurgency warfare. That knowledge was transferred to the ROK army and marine units sent to Vietnam. South Korea sent its best troops (and officers) to Vietnam, 300,000 all told on a rotational basis, which is a significant part of the male population of a country of South Korea's size. There were, however, no more than 50,000 combat troops in Vietnam at any one time though. South Korea's reputation against a standing, regular and well equipped army like the North Korea People's Army or the Chinese Army was poor. The term "bug out fever" was coined in the Korean War and usually attributed to large bodies of South Korean troops who broke in the face of the enemy. So, the South Koreans had a chip on their shoulder to outperform expectations in Vietnam, which they clearly did.

Also, the ROKs in Vietnam fought hard because they felt as if they owed a debt of gratitude to America for saving their country. I am not sure if all enlisted men believed this, but the officers certainly did and they felt it a matter of personal honor to acquit themselves well by being good allies and by making their Areas of Responsibility (AOA) the most pacified in all of South Vietnam.

Response by SGT Lou Meza made Sep 6 at 2017 7:27 PM

SGT Lou Meza — Wed, 06 Sep 2017 19:27:36 -0400

One thing I remember is that every morning they would be up by sunrise , line up and practice their tae kwon do . I saw them do this a few times .

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Sep 9 at 2017 3:56 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 15:56:59 -0400

The Bar in Phu Loi where the ROK Engineers hung out, especially around payday

Response by LTC John Bush made Sep 24 at 2017 4:21 PM

LTC John Bush — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 16:21:33 -0400

I worked with White Horse Division in 68. they were tough and did a good job cleaning up after TET. Their AO was generally considered secure.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 3 at 2018 9:56 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 09:56:53 -0400

The White Tiger Division, was exceptional- if vicious means fighting no holds barred, then yes. After all the knew 1st hand how the Communists were.

Response by Justin Choi made Sep 1 at 2019 10:33 PM

Justin Choi — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 22:33:04 -0400

My grandfather fought in Vietnam as a Korean soldier. In Korea, Vietnam war veterans are treated pretty much shi*.

Response by LTC Thomas (Tom) Jones made Mar 29 at 2024 7:04 PM

LTC Thomas (Tom) Jones — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 19:04:08 -0400

As told by a friend: "I was a young Marine pulling gate duty at a firebase in I Corps, RVN. We had a ROK platoon assigned for security. Well, just before dusk a VC sniper shot/killed a ROK sentry who was manning a perimeter observation tower near the front gate. About a half hour later the ROK Platoon Leader shows up with his entire platoon and motions me to open the gate. Given my orders that "no one was to pass," I shook him off. I changed my mind when I heard about a dozen rounds being chambered. What followed was about three hours of small-arms fire, hand grenade explosions and human screams that would put a banshee to shame. The ROKs passed back onto the compound a little before midnight and unscathed after about four hours of killing VC. As if that wasn't impressive enough, that ROK Platoon Leader then proceeded to climb that same observation tower and, in a act of total defiance, spent about five minutes waving his Zippo cigarette lighter above his blood smeared head essentially saying--go ahead and shoot me and see what happens!" Yes, I'd say that qualifies as pretty vicious.

Response by SGT Craig Hoffman made May 3 at 2024 12:46 PM

SGT Craig Hoffman — Fri, 03 May 2024 12:46:22 -0400

Besides having the hottest peppers, they were fierce. I won't go into their interrogation of POWs
but I would never want to be one in their control. We had a ROK sergeant that we shared a tent with
on a base camp. The floors were ammo crates. He slept on the floor. In the morning there were several dead rats he killed with his bayonet during the night.