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A South Korean Marine watches his line of fire.

The T-50 Golden Eagle is an advanced trainer and fighter aircraft.

The K2 Black Panther is one of the most advanced main battle tanksin the world.

A major military power in the world, South Korea has the world's sixth largest active troops, the world's second largest reserve troops and one of the ten largest defence budgets in the world. The South Korean army has 2,300 tanks in operation^[31], consisting of technologically advanced models such as the K1A1and the new K2 Black Panther. The South Korean navy has the world's sixth largest fleet of destroyers and is one of the five navies in the world to operate an Aegis guided missile enabled destroyer, the King Sejong the Great class destroyer.^[32] It has also the world's largest fleet of frigates, the sixth largest ofcorvettes and the fourth largest of submarines in operation. The South Korean airforce operates the ninth largest airforce in the world^[33], composed of advanced American fighters such as the F-15K,KF-16 and indigenous models such as the T-50 Golden Eagle.

The South Korean military consists of the Army (ROKA), the Navy (ROKN), the Air Force (ROKAF), and the Marine Corps (ROKMC), together with reserve forces.^[34] Many of these forces are concentrated near the border with North Korea, near the demilitarized zone. All South Korean males are constitutionally required to serve in the military, typically for a period of two years. However, there have been debates about shortening the length of the military services, and even dismissing the mandatory service itself. The government recently allowed some male students who were in the process of earning a university bachelor's degree and master's degree to dismiss the military requirements to allow them to further study and research their fields.

A South Korean midshipmanwaves to fellow sailors aboard ROKS Daecheong.

From time to time, South Korea has sent its troops overseas to assist American forces. It has participated in most major conflicts that the United States has been involved in the past 50 years. South Korea dispatched 320,000 troops to fight alongside American, Australian, Filipino, and South Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War, with a peak strength of 50,000. Most recently, South Korea sent 3,300 troops of the Zaytun Division to help re-building in northern Iraq, and was the 3rd largest contributor in the coalition forces after only the US and Britain.^[35]

The United States has stationed a substantial contingent of troops in South Korea since the Korean War to defend South Korea in case of a North Korean attack. There are also approximately 29,000US military stationed in Korea,^[36] most of them serving one year of unaccompanied tours. The American Troops, which primarily are assigned to the Eighth United States Army are stationed in installations at Osan, Yongsan, Dongducheon, Sungbuk,and Daegu, of which are considered camps not for their lack of buildings or support structure, but to make a political and military statement representing a lack of permanence. A still functioning UN Command controls all forces in South Korea, including the US forces and the entire South Korean military.

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