1st Special Forces Brigade (South Korea)

1st Special Forces Brigade (Airborne)
Active	1 April 1958 – present
Country	South Korea
Type	Airborne Special Forces
Size	Brigade
Part of	Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command
Garrison/HQ	Gimpo International Airport Gangseo District, Seoul
Nickname(s)	Docksuri (Eagle)
Engagements	May 16 coup Vietnam War Operation Paul Bunyan Coup d'état of December Twelfth 2024 South Korean martial law

The 1st Special Forces Brigade (Airborne) (Korean: 제1공수특전여단; Hanja: 第一空輸特戰旅團), also known as Eagle (독수리), is an Airborne Special Forces unit of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command.

History

On 1 April 1958, 1st Combat Group was founded and most members were from the 8240th Army Unit.^[1][2]

On 1 October 1958, reorganized as the 1st Special Forces Group.^{[citation needed]}

On 15 September 1972, reorganized into as the 1st Special Forces Brigade.^{[citation needed]}

Vietnam War

1,172 of 1st Special Forces Group participated in the Vietnam War.^[3]

They were attached to Capital Mechanized Infantry Division and 9th Infantry Division.^{[citation needed]}

They conducted the special operations including long-range reconnaissance patrol, surprise attacks by hit-and-run tactics and so on.^[4]

Operation Paul Bunyan

Main article: Operation Paul Bunyan

64 of 1st Special Forces Brigade participated in the Operation Paul Bunyan in 1976.^[5][6]

Criticism

1st Special Forces Brigade was involved in three military coup d'états - May 16 coup (1961), Coup d'état of December Twelfth (1979),^[7] and 2024 South Korean martial law.^[8][9]

On 21 May 1964, some of its members broke into a courtroom and the house of a judge [ko] to demand an arrest warrant.^[10]

Notable former members

• Moon Jae-in^[11]

See also

• Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command
• Special Forces Brigades of the Republic of Korea

References

1. "History - Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command". Archived from the original on August 15, 2024.
2. "空輸團(공수단)창설 십주년". NAVER Newslibrary (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-06-26.
3. "Vietnam War - Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command".^{[permanent dead link‍]}
4. "베트남전쟁시 한국군의 해·공군 및 특수작전" (in Korean). 2018-03-08. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
5. "판문점 도끼 만행사건 추모비를 회상하며". 16 September 2021.
6. "북한의 판문점 '도끼 살해' 만행 … 박정희 "미친 개엔 몽둥이" 분노". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). 2009-08-24. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
7. 12.12 쿠데타의 분수령 "9공수여단의 回軍"
8. 4.12 비상계엄 ‘서울의 밤’…최정예 1공수여단, 국회 들어갔다"
9. https://www.reuters.com/graphics/SOUTHKOREA-POLITICS/GRAPHICS/lgpdjajkbpo/
10. "1964년 무장공수단 난입사건 - open archives 사진 아카이브즈" (in Korean). 2015-10-31. Archived from the original on 2015-10-31. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
11. "[Special feature] Who is Moon Jae-in?". The Hankyoreh. Retrieved 2023-06-26.

External links

• Official Website of ROK Special Warfare Command