The ROKAF at Fifty

Fifty years ago this June, North Korean troops stormed south of the 38th parallel, the dividing line between North and South Korea established at the end of World War II.

The invasion marks the beginning of the Korean War and the earliest days of the Republic of Korea Air Force. Today, the Republic of Korea defends that same parallel with a modern military that includes Korean-built KF-16s.

ROKAF F-51 pilots flew over 8,000 missions during the Korean War.

The Peoples Army of North Korea captured Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, three days after the invasion in 1950. By early August, ROK forces held only a small portion of southeastern Korea from the Korean Strait in the west to just north of Pusan on the east coast. North Korea’s overwhelming strength at the beginning of the war fueled the quick advance. Its 135,000 troops outnumbered South Korean forces by more than 40,000. Its army was seasoned from fighting alongside Soviet and Chinese forces against the Japanese during World War II. North Korea had 120 tanks; South Korea had none. The north also had 180 aircraft (mostly Soviet-built YAK fighters and attack bombers). South Korea had only twenty liaison aircraft (L-4s and L-5s) and ten newly purchased T-6 trainers.

As a result of a United Nations resolution on 27 June 1950, twenty-one countries came to the aid of South Korea. By late summer, the UN troop strength exceeded that of North Korea. UN and ROK forces began counterattacks from Pusan in September. In mid-September, Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s bold landing of UN forces at Inchon, a port city halfway up the west coast on the Yellow Sea, turned the tide of the war. The North Koreans were forced out of Seoul by the end of September and soon after were pushed all the way back to the Yalu River, Korea’s northern border with China.

The momentum shifted back to the north in late 1950 when China entered the conflict. By early January 1951, Chinese and reconstituted North Korean forces captured Seoul. UN forces retook Seoul in March and pushed farther north. The battle line shifted north and south until late summer when it consolidated near the original starting point at the 38th parallel. A relative stalemate — marked by a series of peace talks, major offensives, and hill battles — continued for almost two years. A cease-fire signed on 27 July 1953 effectively ended the war.

The precise number of casualties during the Korean War is not known. Estimates of the total losses range between 1.5 and 2 million. Total casualties for the UN forces (killed, wounded, or missing) were almost 500,000, including 300,000 South Koreans. Civilian casualties incurred in South Korea totaled one million. Over forty percent of the industry and more than thirty percent of the homes in South Korea were destroyed.

The Korean War is often termed “the forgotten war” in the United States, where most Americans derive their knowledge of the conflict from warmed-over episodes of M*A*S*H. Koreans, however, have clearer memories and a more distinct understanding. Their country remains divided by a four-kilometer buffer zone that stretches the width of the peninsula. The armistice that ended the fighting, still in place today, amounts to a cease-fire — not a formal peace treaty. North Korea maintains a sizable force near the buffer zone, which is a thirty-minute drive from Seoul. North Korean forces have a variety of chemical and biological weapons at their disposal as well as missiles and heavy artillery that can deliver these and other weapons at long ranges. The North test-launched a multi-stage rocket in August 1998, sending it over Japan and into the Pacific.

Today’s North Korean army consists of twenty corps with 4,000 tanks, 2,300 armored vehicles, and 12,000 artillery pieces. Their navy operates ten battle groups and some 570 vessels, including ninety submarines and 260 amphibious landing craft. Their air force includes almost 800 fighters, 80 bombers, over 500 support aircraft, and 320 helicopters. Four long tunnels built by North Korea under the demilitarized zone have been uncovered since 1974. The tunnels are large enough to allow the passage of 30,000 armed troops in one hour. North Korean patrol boats and ROK navy vessels have exchanged gunfire as recently as June 1999.

Unsurprisingly, South Korea places a priority on national defense. The country’s military counters the numerical superiority of the North Korean threat with more modern equipment and a well-trained fighting force. The army consists of eleven corps that operate about 2,000 tanks, 2,300 armored vehicles, 5,000 pieces of field artillery, and 600 helicopters. The ROK Navy operates three fleets and some 200 vessels including ten submarines and sixty aircraft. The ROK Air Force consists of about 800 aircraft organized into eleven wings, which includes one composite wing, one tactical airlift wing, and nine tactical fighter wings. About 130 F-16s constitute the core of the ROK fighter force.

A good portion of ROKAF’s F-16 fleet is located at Sosan Air Base, southeast of Taejon in the central part of the country. Sosan, the newest base in Korea, is home to four F-16 squadrons that comprise the 20th Fighter Wing, which was formed in December 1996. The F-16s at Sosan are referred to as KF-16s to indicate their Korean origin at the F-16 production facilities at Sachon in the southern part of the country.

“This wing is the most modern F-16 unit in Korea and probably the most modern F-16 unit in the world,” notes Gen. Chang, the wing commander. “All of our aircraft here are Block 52 KF-16s. The differences between our air force’s Block 32 and Block 52 F-16s in terms of capability are almost revolutionary. The KF-16 performs flawlessly in both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Its friend-or-foe interrogator system combined with AMRAAM allows us to intercept enemy aircraft in beyond-visual-range conditions. Improved avionics make it possible to target several aircraft at a time. Also provisions for close-in fighting have been expanded. The KF-16’s LANTIRN has remarkably boosted its capability for night fighting. The precision guidance system works well with laser-guided munitions and Maverick air-to-ground missiles. Additionally, the Block 52’s HARM capability allows us to dominate the air space. The KF-16 successfully performs a variety of missions and it improves on the excellent repair and maintenance reputation set by our Block 32 aircraft. Our mission capable rate hovers around ninety percent.”

Gen. Chang commands the KF-16 wing at Sosan AB.

As the first Korean pilot to fly an F-16, Gen. Chang speaks from experience that includes almost 4,500 total hours in the F-4, F-5, and F-16. He was the first Korean pilot to ferry an F-16 from the United States to Korea as well.

“The KF-16 is the cutting-edge, the latest aircraft in the Korean Air Force,” says Gen. Chang. “It’s also one of the main pillars in the Korean armed forces. We have the best aircraft, pilots, and excellent maintenance crew. The KF-16 serves as a powerful deterrent against North Korea in times of peace and a formidable weapon in times of war.”

The four squadrons at Sosan fly with precision-guided bombs and LANTIRN navigation and targeting pods. Unlike current USAF F-16s, the KF-16 can handle both HARM and LANTIRN missions.

(An avionics program in work for USAF Block 50 and Block 40 F-16 fleets will provide a common capability in the near future.)

The advanced capabilities of the KF-16 are complemented by the modern facilities of Sosan Air Base, which sets a high standard for other ROKAF bases. Maintenance hangars are well lit, spotless, and extremely organized. Squadron buildings match some of the best in the United States. Well fortified NATO-style aircraft hangars flank long twin runways. The base has new living quarters, churches, athletic fields, and many other facilities to improve the living conditions for ROKAF personnel.

“Quality of life issues are as important in our air force as they are in yours,” notes Gen. Chang. “Even though military service is required in our country, conscripts are allowed to choose which branch they want to serve for periods up to thirty months. So, the ROKAF must try to attract conscripts. The service must also improve living conditions to retain its best and brightest officers. Korea’s thriving economy adds to the challenge.”

Future KF-16 pilots may also be attracted to ROKAF by its proud history, which has been popularized in Korean-produced movies and television shows. These entertainment venues can draw on more than fifty years of aerial accomplishments that officially began in December 1949 when the ROKAF was established. But Korea can trace its aviation heritage back to 1922 when An Chang-nam became the first Korean pilot to fly in his country’s air space. Military aviation started about the same time. Korean expatriates desiring to support the independence movement in their homeland went through flight training at aviation schools in other countries. Korea’s first six military pilots received their training in Curtiss JN-4s in 1920 at the Redwood flight school in northern California.

Choi Yong-duk, who later played a leading role in establishing ROKAF, set up an organization called the Air Force Foundation Committee in 1943 to train Korean pilots in China to fight in the independence war against Japan. When World War II ended, thousands of other Koreans involved in the independence war returned home. Yong-duk and several others set up several private organizations that promoted aviation. Yong-duk, Lee Young-Moo, and Chung Jin-Il integrated these organizations in August 1946 to form the Korean Aviation Establishment Committee. As relations between the north and south became more confrontational in the late 1940s, the committee began negotiations with US forces in Korea to establish an aviation unit under the control of the ministry of national defense. The unit, equipped with L-4 and L-5 liaison aircraft, was acti-vated in May 1948. An air force academy was established at Kimpo Air Base eight months later.

As the communist forces of North Korea strengthened their airpower with Soviet equipment and as US forces withdrew from the peninsula in June 1949, South Korea asked for more military aid, including fighter aircraft. The United States denied the request to avoid increasing tensions in the region. Republic of Korea President Lee Seung-Man went about finding other avenues for procuring military hardware to respond to the North Korean military build up. A nationwide donation campaign called “National Flag” collected money for aircraft. The funds raised were used to buy ten T-6 trainers. The aircraft were rolled out in ceremonies at Yoido Air Base in May 1950 and named “National Foundation Aircraft” to commemorate the public’s part in providing them for the country’s defense. The timing could not have been more portentous — the war began less than six weeks later.

In the first days of the war, ROKAF pilots made heroic but vain attempts to turn back North Korean forces by dropping hand grenades on enemy tanks from their liaison aircraft. The day after the initial invasion, ten ROKAF pilots were rushed to Idasuke Air Base in Japan to receive conversion training for the F-51 Mustang. They returned to Taegu Air Base in South Korea less than two weeks later to take part in the war. ROKAF operations were soon moved to Jinhae Air Base near Pusan as ROKAF pilots sup-ported the Naktong River defense line around that city after the initial retreat.

Col. Lee commands the 123rd FS.

ROKAF forces became more proficient as the war progressed. In October 1951, ROKAF F-51 pilots conducted their first independent air operations against enemy supply lines. South Korean pilots later distinguished themselves by destroying the Sung-Ho-Ri iron bridge after many unsuccessful attempts by US bombers in January 1952. Other memorable operations include the Pyung-Yang bombing operation in August 1952 and a series of highly effective close air support missions in March 1953.

From its first mission in July 1950 to the armistice in July 1953, ROKAF F-51 pilots completed about 8,500 combat missions. Thirty-nine out of a total of 115 ROKAF combat pilots flew 100 combat missions or more. Seventeen ROKAF pilots lost their lives during the war. The service grew from a meager force of twenty-two liaison aircraft and 1,100 troops at the beginning of the war to 118 aircraft and about 11,500 troops at war’s end.

ROKAF and PACAF F-16 pilots regularly fly joint missions.

From the end of the war to today, ROKAF has sought prudent and effective ways to increase its capabilities and to maintain technological superior-ity. The air force entered the jet age in 1955 with F-86F fighters and T-33 trainers. ROKAF soon took over air traffic control and warning tasks and established its own communications and aircraft control and warning units. The service entered the supersonic jet age in 1965 with the F-5A. F-4D fighters were introduced in 1968. ROKAF entered the modern age of fighter aircraft with Block 32 F-16s in April 1986. The first Korea-produced KF-16 was delivered in formal ceremonies in December 1994, followed two years later by the first all-KF-16 wing at Sosan Air Base.

The close ties established between South Korea and the United States during the Korean War con-tinue in the form of economic trade and national defense. The longtime US security commitment to the ROK has both legal and moral sanctions. US legal obligations fall under UN Security Council resolutions of 1950, by which the United States leads the United Nations Command in Korea. The ROK/US Mutual Security Agreement of 1954 commits both nations to assist each other in case of outside attack. The United States is also a partner in the operations of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command, an integrated headquarters established by the two governments in 1978, and is responsible for planning the defense of South Korea and, if necessary, directing the ROK/US combat forces to defeat enemy aggression.

Major elements of US forces in Korea include the Eighth US Army, the Seventh Air Force, and US Naval Forces Korea. Together with ROK forces, these US forces share the rigors of maintaining a deterrent to another North Korean attack.

Cooperation with United States forces comes in two primary forms for ROKAF— large-scale exercises and pilot exchanges. Large-scale exercises, such as Ulchi Focus Lens, Foal Eagle, Cope Jade, and Hokuk Training, improve the mutual understanding of unit operations, unit structures, weapon systems, and strategies and tactics of each service from both countries. Pilot exchanges include a buddy wing program in which several PACAF pilots fly with ROKAF units for a few days, and maintenance crews get to service PACAF aircraft. These exchanges improve communication and understanding between ROKAF and PACAF personnel. ROKAF also sends exchange pilots to PACAF units for longer terms.

“Both of these forms of cooperation are critical to our national defense,” notes Col. Lee, who commands the 123rd Fighter Squadron at Sosan. “These exercises and exchanges improve the ability of our joint operations in wartime. They also increase understanding between Korean and American forces and help us detect and solve problems. We are always looking for better ways to work with our American counterparts to ensure our nation’s defense.”

These KF-16s from Sosan AB form the first line of defense for South Korea.

“Joint exercises with the USAF are something of an absolute necessity to accomplish what we are supposed to in case of war,” adds Gen. Chang. “A systematic and detailed plan has been made at the levels of Air Force Component Commander and Air Force Operation Commander with respect to the concept and procedure of operation. Despite its short history, the 20th Fighter Wing at Sosan performs a key role in these joint operations.”

US Air Force operations in Korea fall under the command of the 7th Air Force, which is headquartered at Osan Air Base, just south of Seoul. The 7th Air Force plans and directs air component operations in the Republic of Korea and in the Northwest Pacific in support of US Pacific Command, United Nations Command, US/ROK Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea. The 7th develops the total air campaign and reinforcement plans for ROK defense and sustains mission readiness of 117 operational units and 8,300 US Air Force personnel.

“We have a great ally with ROKAF, which I would match with any air force in the world,” says Lt. Gen. Charles Heflebower, who commands the 7th Air Force. “They are very capable. ROKAF officers and leadership are professional, and they take their job very seriously. ROKAF pilots fly a lot and train a lot. They are scrambling almost every day, reacting to potential threats. Many of these units are located a minute or two from the front, so they have no margin for error.”

Korea is an intense assignment for US military personnel. Over ninety percent deploy to Korea without their families. “Few airmen volunteer to come to Korea,” notes Heflebower. “Who wants to tell their spouse and children that they want to be away from them for a year? We try to make the assignment more attractive by giving people more weight in choosing their next assignments. Still, most soldiers come to Korea with heavy feet.

“Once they get here, though, that attitude changes,” Heflebower continues. “Serving in Korea is unlike any other assignment in the Air Force. Everyone here is focused on the mission. We have very few distractions. We constantly remind our people that we are not at peace. The situation is a formal cease-fire, a pause in a war. Less than fifty miles from here, the North Koreans have arrayed a huge capability in artillery, infantry divisions, and a good size air force. People have to be ready to fight as soon as they arrive in Korea.”

As a required part of their orientation, newcomers to Osan are sent for a guided tour to the demilitarized zone at Panmunjom. “That tour provides a good reminder of why we serve here,” says Heflebower. “The north and south were the same country for almost 5,000 years. They have been separated for about fifty years, and the difference between the two countries today is huge. The south is bright, colorful, and self-sufficient with a well-educated and industrious population. The north is a wasteland. Every American should come here and take a tour of the DMZ. They will feel grateful for the freedoms they enjoy in the United States.

“We are here to help a nation that shares our values against a nation that has no values,” Heflebower sums up. “We value the human spirit and rights of the individual. I won’t even say that the north values the state—it values a regime. The soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines that serve here understand the situation. When people return home, they are better from the experience. They get a lot of real-world training in that one year. They also gain a better appreciation for what we are protecting in this region and for what they have in America.”

Many Americans and most Koreans will certainly reflect this June on the war that began fifty years ago. With reflection comes hope. And the next fifty years will certainly see renewed efforts — if not true success — at reuniting the two Koreas through peaceful interchanges and cooperative programs that have begun recently by South Korea under its “Sunshine Policy.” A strong defense is a key to this policy of engagement and critical to South Korea’s larger geopolitical role in Southeast Asia. So, the coming years will also bring improvements in South Korea’s military as it becomes more technologically advanced and self-sufficient. The country’s aviation industry is taking part in these efforts. With experience gained from licensed production programs like the KF-16, South Koreans are developing their own military aircraft in the form of the KTX-2, recently named the T-50.

“With a sense of pride and mission as a major fighting force,” reflects Gen. Chang, “the ROKAF is here to deter any possible provocation of the enemy and to defend our country’s air space. Our air force will grow stronger strategically to ensure the security of the country in the twenty-first century and to prepare for the time when Korea will be reunited into one country.”Oleh:Eric Hehs