The Reason for the Existence of

the ROK Armed Forces and Paths to Advancement 

Joo Eun-Sik

Director, Korea Institute for Strategic Studies

1. Introduction

 October 1 marks the 77th Armed Forces Day. This year, under the theme of “An Advanced Strong Military with the People,” a variety of events including the Ground Forces Festival, a naval fleet review in domestic waters, Space Challenge 2025, and a comradeship marathon will be held over two weeks.

 Armed Forces Day was established to commemorate the day during the Korean War when the ROK Army crossed the 38th parallel. At times, there have been calls to change it to September 17, the founding day of the Liberation Army, to symbolize preparation for reunification rather than celebrating fratricidal conflict though others have viewed October 1 as the day South Korea triumphed in the ideological rivalry.

 Today, the ROK Armed Forces face unprecedented internal and external challenges. North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats grow daily, while the new Cold War fueled by U.S.-China strategic rivalry, combined with demands for U.S. Forces Korea’s strategic flexibility and modernization of the ROK-U.S. alliance, weigh heavily on the military. Strong and realistic training is essential, yet recent directives that any fatal accidents fall under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act risk constraining commanders’ ability to maintain readiness.

 No commander wants to lose a subordinate’s life in an accident. From the perspective of parents sending their only child to serve, the call for legal accountability is understandable. The law aims to ensure that commanders identify risks in advance and educate soldiers to prevent accidents. But the military is, by nature, an organization that must prepare for war and excessive fear of training accidents could erode the very readiness on which national security depends.

2. The Reason for the Existence of the ROK Armed Forces: National Survival and the Protection of the People

 The fundamental purpose of the ROK Armed Forces is clear: to guarantee the survival of the Republic of Korea and to protect the lives and property of its people. The Constitution mandates the defense of the nation against external aggression and the preservation of peace through deterrence.

 The security environment on the Korean Peninsula is rapidly changing. North Korea has legalized its nuclear weapons program, formed tactical nuclear units, and is advancing capabilities in super-large multiple rocket launchers and hypersonic missiles a coercive strategy aimed at holding South Korean society hostage for political and diplomatic concessions.

 Amid concerns over North Korea’s potential participation in the Russia-Ukraine war and military technology cooperation with Moscow, the ROK Armed Forces cannot remain merely a “force in being” a passive force existing only on paper. They must become a credible, trusted deterrent. Transition of wartime operational control (OPCON), modernization of the ROK-U.S. alliance, and enhanced trilateral security cooperation with the United States and Japan are all essential to achieve this.

 Internally, however, the military faces severe constraints: shrinking manpower is leading to unit disbandments, training areas near the Civilian Control Line are decreasing, and morale suffers from increasing administrative burdens and risk aversion.

3. Key Tasks for Building a Strong Military

a. OPCON Transition and Strategic Autonomy

 Transition of wartime OPCON is a historic mission to elevate the ROK military’s status. While some call it “restoration,” the essence is clear: the ROK military must independently plan, command, and control joint operations. This requires robust surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, advanced C4ISR systems, strategic intelligence assets, and cyber and space defense readiness.

 True strategic autonomy does not mean dismantling the ROK-U.S. combined defense structure. Instead, it calls for strengthening ROK-led combined operational capabilities through a complementary relationship. OPCON transition is not about symbolic independence; it is about assuming greater responsibility, demanding enhanced professionalism and maturity in strategic thought and will require significant investment.

b. North Korea’s Nuclear Threat and the Imperative of ROK-U.S.-Japan Cooperation

 The nuclear challenge underscores the very reason the ROK military exists: no single nation can manage it alone. Trilateral security cooperation leveraging the U.S. nuclear umbrella, Japan’s maritime and sensor networks, and Korea’s ground-based surveillance and interception systems is a pragmatic necessity.

 Despite historical and political disputes, ROK-U.S.-Japan military cooperation must be treated as a strategic asset, not a political controversy. Joint exercises, real-time intelligence sharing, and integration of missile warning systems should advance without delay.

c. Defense Reform and Nurturing Military Experts

 Defense reform should focus not only on acquiring cutting-edge weapons but also on cultivating human capital. Systems must be established to train professional officers in strategy, operations, technology, and emerging domains such as cyber and space. Joint military universities and defense graduate schools should evolve into practice-driven, warfighting-focused institutions.

 Building expert officer pools early is critical, especially in AI-driven and hybrid warfare. This requires national-level programs linking the military with academia, research, and industry to prepare future strategists and technologists.

d. Efficient Force Structure and Auxiliary Personnel

 With dwindling manpower, combat and support roles must be clearly differentiated. Combat units should focus on advanced weapons and intensive warfighting readiness, while rear-area and technical functions rely more on civilian experts, auxiliary personnel, and contractors.

 The U.S. military’s Total Force concept after the Vietnam War integrating reserve and active components for equivalent operational capacity provides valuable lessons. This approach maximizes deterrence and operational flexibility.

e. Recruitment Strategies in the Era of Low Birthrates

 Korea’s declining birthrate threatens the sustainability of current force levels. Naval operations already face severe personnel shortages, further strained by expanded leave policies and duty exemptions. Sacrifice without fair compensation is unsustainable.

 Structural reforms are needed: diverse service pathways, expanded roles for women and overseas Koreans, greater use of skilled civilian specialists, and elite combat units supported by advanced technology. Non-combat functions should increasingly be civilianized or automated to preserve combat power.

f. Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) and Advanced Technology

 Future warfare will be shaped by Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) and AI-enabled command systems. The ROK military is experimenting with drones, unmanned surface vessels, and autonomous systems but remains at an early stage. Weapons standardization must accelerate to reduce cost and complexity.

 Unmanned systems should evolve from auxiliary support to core operational assets, addressing manpower shortages while minimizing casualties in high-risk missions.

g. A Trusted Military with the People

 No matter how strong, a military that loses public trust loses its legitimacy. Recent lapses in discipline and command culture have eroded confidence. Transparency, respect for human rights, and open communication are essential for the military to remain “the people’s army.”

 Armed Forces Day should not merely display weapons but demonstrate transformation, accountability, and a renewed commitment to national defense.

4. Conclusion

 The ROK Armed Forces exist for one overriding reason: to secure national survival and protect the people. To fulfill this mission, beyond urgent tasks such as OPCON transition, nuclear deterrence, and trilateral cooperation, the military must pursue long-term transformation cultivating experts, restructuring force design, mastering manned-unmanned teaming, and restoring public trust.

 A recent controversy the quiet removal of the troop library book “Grandfather’s Stories of the Korean War” highlights the danger of erasing historical memory. Soldiers must understand the war’s realities and why their service matters. Without clear identity and moral grounding, even the most advanced weapons are of little value.

History teaches that strength without legitimacy crumbles. Ancient Athens, despite its democracy, lost credibility through imperial overreach, as Thucydides recorded in the fall of the Delian League. A truly strong military is defined not by the number of weapons but by trusted deterrence, alliance interoperability, and moral purpose that inspires the nation.

 If the ROK Armed Forces walk this path with determination, Armed Forces Day will no longer be a mere ceremonial remembrance of past victories but a living symbol of future security and hope.

Note: The views expressed herein may differ from those of the Hansun Foundation.

(※ It's a translation based on machine translation)