The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (Korean: 대한민국 국군; Hanja: 大韓民國國軍; RR: Daehanminguk Gukgun; lit.

[1][4] The Republic of Korea Armed Forces traces its roots back to the establishment of the Korean Republic in 1919 wherein its armed wing was called the Korean Liberation Army and it conducted warfare against the Japanese occupation by conducting large-scale offensives, assassinations, bombings, sabotage, and search and rescue missions.

After the Korean War, South Korea established a joint military partnership with the United States, termed the ROK-U.S. Alliance,[6] as outlined by the Mutual Defense Treaty.

In the 1970s, through the Park Chung Hee Administration's "Yulgok Plan" (율곡사업), South Korea began to build up self-reliant, national defense capability.

During South Korea's period of rapid growth in the 1980s, the military modernized, benefiting from several government-sponsored technology transfer projects and indigenous defense capability initiatives.

[8] Today, the South Korean armed forces enjoy a good mix of avant-garde as well as older conventional weapons.

Its capabilities include many sophisticated Western weapon systems, complemented by a growing and increasingly more advanced indigenous defense manufacturing sector.

At the same time, the ROK Armed Forces will see a reduction in active duty personnel from 640,000 to 517,000, and the length of compulsory military service will also be reduced to 18 – 22 months by 2022.

During the Cold War era, a variety of anti-tank barricades were constructed over roads and railroad tracks leading in and out of Seoul, as well as within the Gyeonggi Province.

These structures are rigged with explosives and are designed to be blown up by the South Korean Army which would drop the rubble blocking roads and railways.

Along with the anti-tank barricades, the South Korean Army placed barbed-wire fences along the Han River and hundreds of 3-foot tall concrete pillars arranged in rows, known as "dragon teeth", across open fields.

During the 1970s and 1980s when most of these structures were built, the goal was to slow down enemy tanks, troops, and other vehicles and to buy time for South Korean civilians to flee from the invading North Korean forces, as well as to allow for the Republic of Korea and the United States Army to employ troops to defensive positions.

Local governments and civilians are now demanding that the anti-tank barricades be removed as they pose a great safety risk, obstruct new development, and many people believe have outlived their purpose.

Through long-range artillery barrages, missile strikes, or chemical weapons that are used to deliberately attack non-American targets and short of all-out war, the North could seek to hold Seoul hostage with the hope of renegotiating a new status quo.

[13] Special warfare units are expected to use wartime tunnels or various infiltration means such as submarines, air-cushion vehicles (ACVs), AN-2 aircraft, and helicopters to infiltrate the forward and rear areas and conduct hybrid operations in the form of striking major units and facilities, assassinating key figures, and disturbing the rear area.

A senior official, Kang Shin-chul, said: "Our military's lack of preparedness has caused a lot of concern to the people…actively employ detection devices to spot the enemy's drone from an early stage and aggressively deploy strike assets".

[16][17] The South Korean Defence Ministry announced a new series of anti-drone measures, spending some 560 billion won over the next five years.

The military authority runs from the President to the Minister of National Defense, who is often to be (but not legally bound to be) a retired four-star general.

Unlike the U.S. counterpart, operational command of combat units falls within the purview of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who reports to the Minister of National Defense.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a four-star general or admiral, is the senior officer of the Armed Forces.

The current administration has initiated a program of self-defense, whereby South Korea would be able to fully counter the North Korean threat with purely domestic means by about 2030.

In 2007, the ROK Navy launched the lead ship (DDG 991) of Sejong the Great-class destroyers with the Aegis Combat System.

[24][25] The ROK Marine Corps (ROKMC) is a branch of the Republic of Korea Navy responsible for amphibious operations,[26] and also functions as a rapid reaction force and a strategic reserve.

In contrast, the North Korean Army has roughly 650 combat aircraft, but mostly obsolete types of Soviet and Chinese origin.

This project eventually culminated in the KAI T-50, dubbed the "Golden Eagle" which is used as a trainer for jet pilots, now being exported to Indonesia.

[31][32][33] The Republic of Korea Air Force also expressed interests in acquiring the RQ-4 Global Hawk and Joint Direct Attack Munition kits to further improve their intelligence and offensive capabilities.

As part of its mission, the ROK Armed Forces have engaged in peacekeeping operations, humanitarian, and disaster-relief efforts worldwide.