The Republic of Korea Army, also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the largest of the military branches of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with 365,000 members as of 2022. This size is maintained through conscription: All able-bodied South Korean males must complete military service between the ages of 18 and 35.
Soldiers of the Imperial Korean Army in 1898
US Army drawing showing ROKA soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War, 1966
ROKA soldiers with a 57 mm anti-tank gun during the Korean War, 1950
Republic of Korea Armed Forces
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces, also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength of 3,600,000 in 2022.
March of the South Korean Constabulary of Police Reserve, the parent of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, on 15 January 1946
First conscription examination conducted on 16 December 1949 after liberation from Japan's colonial rule
President Park Chung Hee inspecting troops at the 1973 Republic of Korea Armed Forces Day parade
President Moon Jae-in with the Minister of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Commander of USFK in 2017
