The UDT/SEALs under WARFLOT are heavily influenced and inspired by the United States Navy SEALs/Underwater Demolition Team/Special Boat Teams, which initially provided funding and expertise in the unit's creation, and still maintain a strong relationship by regularly undertaking joint combined exchange training (JCET) several times a year, utilizing American helicopter and maritime assets, and enrolling students each year in the U.S.

The BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School) selection process is inspired by and similar to the U.S. Navy SEAL program, consisting of physical and mental challenges, such as Hell Week.

The completion rate has been known to dip under 10% and usually hovers between 30 and 40%, leading to manpower problems as the unit continues to expand and has an increasing number of foreign commitments.

The SWF (also known in popular culture as the ROKN UDT/SEALs) were involved in reconnaissance missions in North Korea until 1980 when a number of operators were broken away to form the UDU intelligence unit.

It was about 2 a.m. when the three South Korean vessels approached the bay from the Yellow Sea and met wired obstacles on the water, which made navigating harder.

[6] SWF were involved in the 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident caused by North Korean agents, on a mission to spy on the naval installations in the area and then return.

A 49-day-long manhunt ensued, from 18 September through 5 November, resulting in the capture or elimination of all the crew and members of the reconnaissance team, except one, who is believed to have made it back to North Korea.

In 1998 the unit was involved in the recovery and search of a North Korean Yono-class submarine that had been accidentally snared in fishing nets near Sokcho, Gangwon Province.

[10] ROKS Choi-Young, a 4600-ton destroyer, dispatched its SWF team at 4:58 am along with a Lynx helicopter which then circled the ship and fired machine guns to distract the pirates.