Republic of Korea Army

The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; Korean: 대한민국 육군), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the ground warfare branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. It is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean military with 400,000 members as of 2025, a size maintained through conscription. All able-bodied South Korean males are required to complete military service, with the army requiring 18 months of military service between the ages of 18 and 35. The ROKA traces its lineage to the Gwangmu Reform, with its modern form emerging in 1945 as the Korean Constabulary, a force initially heavily influenced by Imperial Japanese Army doctrine and former personnel as many founding officers and servicemen had served during the Second World War, a legacy that remains controversial in South Korea today.