The Republic of Korea (South Korea), under the administration of Park Chung-hee, took an active role in the Vietnam War. From 1964 to 1973, South Korea sent more than 300,000 troops to Vietnam. The South Korean Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force all participated as an ally of the United States. The number of troops from South Korea was much greater than those from Australia and New Zealand, and second only to the U.S. military force. The military commander was Lieutenant General Chae Myung-shin, ROK Army. Following the Tet Offensive, Korean forces were often reluctant to engage in offensive operations and typically stayed within their own bases due to orders by Park Chung-Hee minimise casualties.^[1]

Causes

South Korea had made offers to send troops to South Vietnam as early as 1954, but these were turned down. Request for coalition partners by MACV under the Many Flags campaign was made, and South Korea was one of the nations outside of SEATO to join, with the promise of diplomatic leverage and financial aid given to South Korea in return. ^[2]

Economic payment in return for the participation of Korea was one underlying cause for its participation, with a House Subcommittee hearing chaired by J. William Fulbright criticising the deployment of Korean forces as resembling the "hiring of mercenaries". ^[3]

The first Korean units would arrive in February 1965, in a brigade group known as Dove Force. These included engineers, a MASH unit, military police, a navy LST, liaison staff, and other support personnel. Dove Force was deployed to the Bien Hoa region of South Vietnam, where it engaged in counterinsurgency activities. Engineering units built schools, roads and bridges. Medical teams treated over 30,000 South Vietnamese civilians. ^[4]

South Korea at the time was alarmed by the United States' plan to move two of its military divisions stationed in South Korea to Vietnam, and the possible ramifications of this move on South Korea's security, especially against North Korea. It also saw how Japan made its economic recovery during the destructive Korean War, and saw the same opportunity in Vietnam.

US President Lyndon Johnson saw a need for more ground troops in Vietnam, but in the face of an increasingly skeptical American public, he adopted foreign participation in the war as a key component in the American strategy for Vietnam. Koreans would make up the second largest force after the United States, but unlike American troops, they would not garner the same amounts of media attention, despite carrying American weapons.

Many Korean soldiers also saw themselves paying back the sacrifices Americans had made for them in Korea, but also saw opportunity to rise with combat pay. Korea was still mired in poverty, and many soldiers took on service in order to support their families.^[5]

The total cost to the United States of paying for Korean participation was "peanuts compared to what it would be for a comparable number of Americans," but those payments are estimated to account for 4 percent of the GNP in 1967 and totaling more than one billion dollars. The war contributed to a remarkable boost to the South Korean economy.^[6][7]

Alleged war crimes

A 1972 report by two American Vietnamese-speaking Quakers, Diane Jones and Michael Jones, in two of the provinces they operated in, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam Provinces allege that Republic of Korea armed forces, conducted 45 massacres including 13 in which over 20 unarmed civilians were purportedly killed in just two of the provinces they operated in, .^[8] Within these two provinces the Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất massacre is confirmed to have taken place, while other massacres alleged to have been conducted by ROK forces at Hà My, Bình Hòa and Binh Tai.^[8]. Similar atrocities are purported to have occurred in other provinces the Republic of Korea forces were operating in.^{[citation needed]} Further incidents are alleged to have occurred in the villages of An Linh and Vinh Xuan in Phú Yên Province^[9] and the village of Tay Vinh in Bình Định Province.^[10]

In April 2000 a report by the Associated Press into the purported "Bình An/Tây Vinh massacre", stated that "The AP was unable to independently confirm their claims" and "An additional 653 civilians were allegedly killed the same year by South Korean troops in neighboring Quang Ngai and Phu Yen provinces, according to provincial and local officials interviewed by the AP on a trip the government took two months to approve. As is routine with foreign reporters, several government escorts accompanied the AP staff. The AP was unable to search for documents that would back up the officials' allegations"^[11]

While much research is needed to confirm the extent and nature of Korean atrocities in Vietnam, the ROK reputation for ferocity is well established and reported consistently by Korean, Vietnamese and American sources" whom the reputation for ferocity is explained by the "brutality of South Korean forces in Vietnam" that stems from the brutality of the Korean War itself. ^[12]

Nevertheless there have been 12 reported mass-killings which approached the scale of the My Lai Massacre, from documentation of these regions at that time, and with further documentation of thousands of routine murders on civilians primarily the elderly, women and children as most men in these regions had been conscripted into the Viet Cong or the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).^[13] Furthermore the behaviour of some units and individuals caused dissension among allies, with incidents of reprisal killings by ARVN forces against ROK officers occurring in Son Tinh in 1967, due to alleged atrocities against pro-RVN locals. An ARVN officer was later acquitted for killing two ROK Lieutenants, due to popular support for ARVN reprisals against South Koreans.^[14]

Part of the reason why Korean forces were alleged to engage in atrocities stem from orders by Park Chung-Hee to minimize casualties through practices such as hostage-taking.^{[citation needed]} The brutality of Korean forces was both due to many officers being Japanese-trained and many soldiers growing up during the Korean War.^[12]

Testimonies and extensive accounts in the South Korean media in the early 2000s by Republic of Korea Vietnam-war Veterans, especially on the extent and brutality of the Republic of Korea armed forces activities, have caused considerable debate and re-assessment within South Korea about its role in the conflict.^[15]

Allegations of wartime rape has recently been raised in recent years, with testimonies from offspring fathered by Koreans in the Vietnam War known as Lai Đại Hàn were ostracised and neglected by Vietnamese society following the war.^[16]

The alleged war crimes have had an impact upon South Korea–Vietnam relations and led the Vietnamese government to oppose the "commemoration of mercenaries" when South Korean President Moon Jae-in honored ROK Forces who had fought in South Vietnam on South Korea's Memorial Day in 2017.^[17] Nevertheless reconciliation efforts from the government of South Korea have been undertaken with apologies from President Kim Dae-Jung^[18] and Moon Jae-in.^[19]

Impact on spread of Taekwondo

As a component of the joint-service MACV, the South Korean Marines had a great deal of interaction with American Marines.  While the Vietnam War constituted the first military action on foreign soil for the ROK Marines since their formation, they proved themselves to be highly skilled and capable warriors.^{[citation needed]}  All of the Blue Dragon Brigade’s officers were trained in Quantico, VA or San Diego, CA by the U.S. Marine Corps.  In Vietnam, ROK Marines lacked organic aviation assets and American ANGLICO Marines were typically embedded within every ROK company to coordinate fires, close air support, medevac, and resupply.^[20].  When supporting the ROK Marines, American Marines would frequently wear ROK uniforms. Rumors of the widespread success of ROK operations spread among the Viet Cong guerrillas which are alleged to have caused the Viet Cong to avoid engagements with ROK forces.^[21] 

As early as 1966, ROK officers begun to organise taekwondo classes for ARVN officers among others. ^[22] Later the^nd Commandant of the US Marine Corps, General James L. Jones, to push for the creation and development of what is now MCMAP^[23].  This may have also lead to the creation of the Combat Fitness Test.  General Jones had served as a platoon and company commander in Vietnam and witnessed firsthand the military prowess of the ROK Marines.  General Jones stated that he had “observed with keen interest how a challenging physical combative training and a national military martial arts system” unified and forged a warrior ethos within the ROK Marines.^[24]  While the effectiveness of tae kwon do was proven in combat^{[citation needed]}, it is not only useful as a combat tool, but also as a method of instilling discipline in military forces.  647 South Korean tae kwon do instructors served in Vietnam and Korean forces relied on hand to hand combat against the Viet Cong on numerous occasions.^[25] While MCMAP draws from techniques of many additional martial arts styles aside from tae kwon do, it is clear that the Korean Marines’ emphasis on martial arts and physical fitness as a whole left a lasting impact on the American Marines.

Order of battle

• Capital Mechanized Infantry Division (Tiger)
• ROK 2nd Marine Brigade (Blue Dragon)
• ROK 9th Infantry Division (White Horse)

Operations involving South Korea

• Battle of Bong Son
• Battle of Trà Bình
• Operation Hong Kil Dong

See also

• MACV
• Republic of China in the Vietnam War

References