The Republic of Korea Army traces its lineage back to the Gwangmu Reform, when the Pyŏlgigun was established by Emperor Gojong in 1881.
History 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 This size is maintained through conscription: All able-bodied South Korean males must complete military service (18 months for the army, auxiliary police, and marines, 20 months for the navy and conscripted firefighters, 21 months for the air force and social service, and 36 months for alternative service) between the ages of 18 and 35. It is the largest of the military branches of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with 365,000 members as of 2022. The Republic of Korea Army ( ROKA Korean: 대한민국 육군 Hanja: 大韓民國陸軍 RR: Daehanminguk Yukgun), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare.
