As a American-born Korean, I’ve always found the Korean military to be intriguing. Hearing stories about the ROK Army has not only made me proud of my Korean heritage, it has perpetuated my curiosity.
South Korea’s Armed Forces Day is an annual event held on October 1st. The country’s military puts on a variety of displays that include performances by military bands, drills by honor guard contingents, and martial arts displays by special warfare units. There are also air shows with helicopters and fighting planes. One of the highlights of the event is a skydiving performance by South Korea’s Special Warfare Command soldiers.
On September 29th, 2009, two days before Armed Forced Day, Special Warfare Command parachuting team members prepared for their airdrop exercise. The group was made up of about 40 of the top soldiers and including female soldiers. They separated and boarded two Ch-47 helicopters at an airfield near the event spot, the Gyeryongdae military compound, about 140 km (90 miles) south of Seoul. Here are some photos of the training exercise courtesy of reporter Yonghak Jo.
via reuters
