South Korea

Republic of Korea (South Korea)

The entire Korean peninsula was under Imperial Japanese colonial rule from 1910 until 1945. South Korea is officially the Republic of Korea (ROK or 대한민국), and was formed in 1948 when the peninsula was divided into North Korea (occupied by the USSR after WW2) and South Korea (occupied by the USA). North Korea invaded South Korea in June of 1950, with the resulting war between the two nations and their respective supporters raging until 1953.

The Korean War was the first major conflict of the Cold War. North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union, while South Korea received military support from the United States, Great Britain and fourteen other nations under United Nations resolution 84. The conflict ended only with an armistice, so technically the Korean War has never been been fully resolved.

South Korea sent troops to the Republic of Vietnam, where they fought fiercely against the communist Viet Cong and the forces of North Vietnam. Over 24,000 ROK military personnel have also been deployed to the Middle East to support the international "War on Terror," including 3,300 sent to assist with the rebuilding of Iraq and 1,800 deployed to Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (대한민국 국군) consist of the ROK Army (대한민국 육군), ROK Navy (대한민국 해군), ROK Air Force (대한민국 공군), and the ROK Reserve Forces (대한민국 예비군). The ROK Marine Corps (대한민국 해병대) are a part of the Navy.

Camouflage Patterns of the South Korean Armed Forces

• The first camouflage pattern produced by South Korea was patterned after the US M1942 spot pattern of the Second World War. Introduced during the 1960s, variations of this design were worn by the ROKA Special Forces and ROK Marines during the Vietnam War. By the mid-1970s, both units had replaced the pattern, but it would continue to see usage through the 1990s by military programs in public high schools. Early South Korean duck hunter camouflage incoporated five colors and was printed on HBT cotton fabric. Unlike the original US design, the early Korean versions were not reversible, but were printed using a variety of different colors, thus producing several variations.

• Late pattern duck hunter pattern camouflage is very similar to that produced during the Vietnam War. In some cases, the only way to differentiate is to date the uniforms by the styling or type of markings and/or insignia. Although worn for a few years following the Vietnam War by ROKA Special Forces and ROK Marines, new patterns would replace the spot pattern for both units by the mid-1970s, meaning most uniforms produced after this would have ended up being worn by military cadets or Reserve Forces.

• The ROK Army Special Forces were issued with a new camouflage pattern during the late-1960s. Consisting of black, reddish-brown, olive green & grass green shapes (in various shades) on a pale green background, the pattern has earned several nicknames by collectors and historians, including "swirl," "noodle," and "waves" pattern. Worn strictly by the Special Forces of South Korea until the late 1980s, fabric and uniforms in the same pattern were exported to Ethiopia, Guatemala and Peru. Several variations exist.

• The ROK Marine Corps replaced the earlier "duck hunter spot" pattern in the mid-1970s with their own design, nicknamed variously "leopard," "jigsaw" and "puzzle" pattern. Consisting of black, dark olive green & medium olive green shapes on a pale green background, the pattern first appeared in the 1975 Armed Forces Parade, but by 1977 would be replaced with a different camouflage design. This design also appears to have seen limited use with ROK Navy SEAL units within the same time frame.

• The Capital Garrison Command was created to serve as a special security force tasked with protecting with presidential residence (the Blue House), major government and Ministry of National Defense structures, and the Kimp'o International Airport. Now known as the Capital Defense Command, the unit's main concern was preventing coups d'etat. Beginning in the mid-1970s, the unit was issued with its own unique camouflage design called Yu-shin bok (Revitalizing Reforms Uniform) consisting of mosaic or fractal-like hexagon shapes and lines consisting of green, red, black, and gold/yellow. The pattern has also been referred to as "Turtleshell Camouflage", and its design is supposed to be reminiscent of the "Geobukseon" or Turtle Ships of the Joseon dynasty era, a historical national icon of Korea. This pattern was worn by the unit until 1981.

• Beginning in the 1970s, many Korean ground units began wearing camouflage helmet covers printed in the "USMC Standard" or "vine leaf" (aka "wine leaf") pattern. These continued to be worn into the 1980s and in some cases 1990s.

• The ROK Marine Corps adopted another camouflage pattern of their own in the late 1970s. The pattern first appeared in public during the Ssangyong ("Twin Dragons") 10 exercise in 1978, although it was probably developed earlier than this. Nicknamed "turtle shell," "eggshell" or "geometric" pattern, the design incorporates brown, olive green, and black shapes on a pale green background. This pattern would see service with the ROKMC until 1991 when all the ROK Armed Forces were converted to a single type of camouflage.

• Also around 1980 the ROK Navy began issuing its own camouflage pattern to selected personnel. Essentially a copy of the m1948 ERDL pattern using a slightly different colorway, the uniforms were primarily worn by UDT/SEALs and other Navy special operations personnel.

• In the early to mid-1980s, several variations of the US m81 woodland camouflage pattern began to emerge in South Korea, primarily among special units of the ROK Army, such as airborne, reconnaissance, and some members of the Special Warfare Command. Some of the designs appear to be mutated versions of the m81 woodland, with the drawings either stretched out or reduced in size by 25-40%. Additionally, a variety of colorways have been encountered. It is possible none of these patterns were ever officially approved, but instead procured in limited quantities for wear during training and or unit ceremonies or parades. Illustrated below are several of these patterns, but many more exist. The last pattern (below, right) was taken from a Marine Corps uniform, and may be an attempt at producing a type of desert pattern.

• Beginning in 1990, the South Korean Armed Forces (including elite units) had discarded the previously worn Olive Drab Combat uniform (worn from 1948-1989) in favor of a universal camouflage pattern based on woodland designs. Although similar to the US m81 woodland pattern, the drawings are significantly different in size and shape. Called Tonghab (통합 or "integrated"), the pattern would remain in general service with the South Korean armed forces until 2010, and was printed on both poplin and (more recently) ripstop cotton blend fabrics.

• Two distinctive camouflage patterns are believed to be associated with the Army Headquarters Intelligence Division (HID) since the 1990s or perhaps even the late 1980s. Originally formed in 1951, the name of the HID was later changed to Army Intelligence Division. In addition to standard military intelligence duties, the HID/AID was also tasked with secretive, cross-border operations into North Korea to perform reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, sabotage, and (potentially) even assassination of key targets. Although members of the unit would have been appropriately outfitted during such cross-border operations (possibly even wearing North Korean military or civilian clothing), a number of Korean sources suggest that one or more camouflage patterns were utilized by the unit during training exercises or while serving in garrison. Surviving documentation is sketchy, but at least one of these patterns appears to have been an "urban" type design based on DPM or woodland shapes. Another design, clearly based on DPM shapes, has typical coloration for operations in vegetated areas.

• The first desert camouflage pattern used by the ROK Armed Forces was locally-produced copy of the US six-colour pattern. Uniforms in this pattern were issued to military personnel serving in the Persian Gulf War, UN contingents, and the first South Korean troops deployed to Afghanistan in 2001.

• In 2004, South Korea introduced its own, three-color desert camouflage pattern, essentially a recoloration of the standard ROK Woodland design. This design was first issued to troops sent to Afghanistan in 2003, and later by ROK personnel in Iraq, as well as UN and training missions abroad.

• In 2006, the ROK Special Warfare Command began wearing a new pixelated camouflage design similar to the USMC MARPAT camouflage. Nicknamed Doksa (독사 or "venemous snake"), the pattern incorporates black, medium green and khaki shapes on a light brown background.

• In 2010, the South Korean Armed Forces adopted a new pixelated camouflauge pattern, reputedly termed "Granite B." The pattern is in use by all personnel of the ROK Army, Navy (although not the Marines) and Air Force, and incorporates black, dark olive green, sea green, medium brown and khaki shades.

• Also in 2010 the South Korean Marine Corps (ROK MC) adopted its own digital "tiger stripe" style camouflage pattern, known as 물결무늬 (Wave pattern) - aka WAVEPAT - or 해병 디지털 (Marine digital). This design incorporates black, olive green, sand, and light tan colors, as well as a small ROKMC logo embedded into the pattern.

• First observed in 2016, a pixelated desert camouflage pattern was initially issued only to members of the South Korean Special Warfare Command (ROK SWC). This was primarily worn by the Special Operations Forces Contingent (nicknamed "Akh Unit") of the 707th Special Missions Group, which maintains a presence in the UAE to train that country's special operations forces. By 2022, the camouflage design was also being issued to conventional troops.

• Korean Army personnel augmenting the Eighth US Army are known as KATUSA (Korean Army Augmentation to the US Army) or 대한민국 육군 카투사. These personnel wear US uniforms with Korean insignia (as well as US sleeve insignia from the unit to which they are assigned). KATUSA personnel have worn UCP into the present area, although this is now gradually being replaced by the US Army Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP).

• Multicam uniforms are being worn by ROK Navy Special Warfare Flotilla (ROK NSWF), which includes SEAL/UDT and Rescue Diver units now. It is uncertain if this pattern has officially replaced the previously worn Leaf design, but this seems likely. As of 2017, Multicam is also being worn by KATUSA personnel.

• In addition to Multicam, the ROK NSWF UDT/SEAL units are also wearing a copy of USMC MARPAT camouflage with a slightly different color palette. It should be noted this is not the same pattern as is worn by the ROK Army Special Warfare units.

• In 2019, the Republic of Korea Navy introduced this gray digital pattern for use by its SSU (Sea Salvage & Rescue Unit, or sometimes Ship Salvage Unit) under the ROKN Naval Special Warfare Flotilla. The SSU are divers specializing in rescue, raising, and investigation of naval incidents and accidents. The camouflage pattern consists of light gray, dark gray, tannish gray, and black.

• The Republic of Korea Navy (대한민국 해군) announced in May 2021 that it would begin supplying a new blue-dominant camouflage pattern uniform to personnel serving on combat crews of combat surface ships and submarines. The pixelated camouflage pattern has a slightly striped appearance from a distance, incorporating shades of blue and grey. The Navy stressed one reason for adopting a new uniform was the specialized fabric, combining flame-resistance, breathability, and resistance to static electricity, all important features for crews working on Navy ships.

Non-military Camouflage Patterns

• Service in the armed forces plays a very important and significant role in South Korea, so much that from the 1970s to 1990s all South Korean high school students would receive military training as part of their curriculum. Different high school programs have issued a wild assortment of camouflage patterns to their students to wear during this training, some copies of traditional South Korean military patterns, but most completely unique and very colorful. Each school has its own insignia as well. Of these patterns, the most prolific seem to be variations of the duck hunter spot design originally developed in the 1960s.

• A reversible version can be seen here.

• Another extremely common pattern is composed of various shapes on a white, pale grey or pale green background. The most common of these have black shapes (often letters or numbers, but other shapes are common as well), but some have colored ones as well. Some sources suggest these were worn during military training classes in South Korean highschools.

• An unusual spot pattern variation is seen here, with the shapes having jagged or irregular edges rather than the ordinary smooth ones.

• Still another variation is seen here, using very bright colors and square-within-square shapes scattered throughout the design.

• The tiger stripe pattern seen below is not a military pattern, but rather is issued to members of the South Korean National Forest Service.

• Comprising veterans of various South Korean military intelligence agencies, the Federation of Korean Intelligence Agents includes former members of the Army Intelligence Unit (aka HID), Air Force Office of Special Intelligence (OSI), Navy Underwater Demolition Unit (UDU), and the Marine Corps' Marine Intelligence Unit (MDI). Functioning as a collective support organization and political entity, members of the FKIA have worn a distinctive camouflage uniform since the early 2000s. The camouflage pattern has some similarities to that reputedly worn by members of the Army Intelligence Unit during the 1990s and possibly later.