By Maj. Christopher Mesnard.

Personnel assigned to U.S. Special Operations Command Korea and the Republic of Korea’s Special Warfare Command conducted a combined and multinational Airborne jump training event on Aug. 17, 2023, south of Camp Humphreys, ROK, with participants from the UN Command-Korea and senior special operations forces representatives from Thailand and the Philippines.

U.S. special operations personnel regularly conduct combined jump training with their ROK counterparts, ensuring proficiency in special operations forces-related skills and their ability to meet mutual defense priorities. What’s more, as a part of its role as the UN Special Operations Command, SOCKOR regularly conducts exchanges with other member states’ SOF personnel, like the Thai and Filipino participants in this training jump.

“With over 70-years in the making, our ROK-U.S. Alliance is one of the strongest in the world,” said Brig. Gen. Derek Lipson, SOCKOR commander. “We at SOCKOR advance that special relationship every day through training and engagements with unique special operations capabilities in mind.”

Photo: United Kingdom Lt. Gen. Andrew Harrison, United Nations Command Korea deputy commander, center, converses with Filipino Colonels Villaflor and Sevilla, left, Philippine Army special operations senior leadership, during a combined-jump, training event on Aug 17, 2023, south of Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea. (Republic of Korea Army photo by Private 1st Class Yeonung Kim)

In addition to strengthening the interoperability of multinational participants, the jump served as an opportunity to demonstrate the command’s commitment to U.S. Special Operations Command’s SOF Truth #1, “Humans are more important than hardware.”

“In today’s technologically robust world, it’s easy to forget the fundamental principle that people are our greatest asset,” said Lipson. “That’s not to say we don’t use advanced tools to our advantage. But at the end of the day, we need to know we have the relationships in place and an adaptive nature conditioned into our SOF warriors to meet both our nations’ defense priorities.”

Also on hand, the UNC Deputy Commander, United Kingdom Lt. Gen. Andrew Harrison participated in the jump, reinforcing the command’s emphasis on maintaining engagement with the UN member states.

Maps: Courtesy of Central Intelligence Agency.

“Partner building is foundational to the strength of our command’s decades-long mission,” said Harrison. “It was an absolute pleasure to not only talk with our friends from Thailand and the Philippines but to see their skill and proficiency during today’s Airborne training.”

Special Operations Command Korea maintains a constantly ready force that regularly trains and collaborates with ROK Allies, at all levels, in addition to UN member states in its role as a U.S. theater special operations command on the Korean Peninsula.

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This story by Maj. Christopher Mesnard, Special Operations Command Korea, was first published on August 17, 2023 by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. DVIDS content is in the public domain.

Top photo: A U.S. special operations forces Soldier exits a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook in a combined static-line jump with counterparts from the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Philippines, and United Kingdom, Aug. 17, 2023, south of Camp Humphreys, ROK. (Republic of Korea Army photo by Private 1st Class Yeonung Kim)

By David Vergun.

On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel and attacked South Korea. Three days later, North Korean forces captured South Korea’s capital, Seoul. The following week on July 1, the first U.S. ground troops, arrived in Korea to support South Korea.

The decision to aid South Korea was made by President Harry S. Truman. In his “Memoirs,” published in 1956, Truman states: “If South Korea fell, the communists would attack other nations, resulting in World War III.” The communists he referred to, were the former World War II U.S. allies China and the Soviet Union, which now supported North Korea. 

By early August 1950, the North Korean army had overrun most of South Korea except for a small pocket in the far southeast known as the Pusan Perimeter. During the months of August and September, U.S. Soldiers and Marines, along with United Nations forces, landed in Korea to bolster South Korea’s defense. 

U.N. forces besides the U.S., were the United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, Thailand, Ethiopia, Greece, France, Colombia, Belgium, South Africa, Netherlands and Luxembourg. 

U.S. forces landed on the western port city of Inchon Sept. 15, and two weeks later, U.N. forces captured Seoul. The following month saw U.N. forces crossing the 38th parallel into North Korea, capturing Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, and advancing to the Yalu River, the northern boundary of North Korea and China. 

In late October 1950, Chinese forces crossed into North Korea to aid their ally. By January 1951, Chinese and North Korean forces recaptured Seoul. By March 1951, U.N. troops recaptured Seoul.  

On April 11, 1951, Truman relieved MacArthur, who had led the U.N. Command. MacArthur had wanted to expand the war into China, which was against the directives of the president, who didn’t want a wider conflict, which would likely involve the Soviet Union. 

“We were in Korea in the name and on behalf of the United Nations. This ‘unified command’ which I had entrusted to [U.S. Army Gen.] Douglas MacArthur, was a United Nations Command, and neither he nor I would have been justified if we had gone beyond the mission that the United Nations General Assembly had given us,” Truman states in “Memoirs,” an account of his presidency. 

By the latter part of 1951,1952 and 1953, heavy fighting continued, with the front line stabilizing in a stalemate in the vicinity of the 38th parallel. Dwight D. Eisenhower became president Jan. 20, 1953, and on July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, ending the fighting. Prisoners were exchanged and South Korea gained a bit of territory northeast of the 38th parallel. 

About 37,000 Americans lost their lives during the Korean War and over 92,000 were wounded and 8,000 were missing. South Korea sustained 1.3 million casualties, including 415,000 dead. Casualties among other U.N. forces totaled 16,500, including 3,100 dead.  

No peace treaty was ever signed between North and South Korea and in the decades since the Korean War, North Korean forces have conducted numerous cross-border incursions and other acts of aggression. U.S. forces and U.N. representatives are still in South Korea with the goal of preventing another war. 

U.S. Forces Korea is responsible for supporting and training joint South Korea-U.S. forces and United Nations Command multinational forces. The Korean War Veterans Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., honors those who served and sacrificed. 

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This article by David Vergun was first published by the U.S. Department of Defense on July 24, 2023. DoD content is in the public domain.

Photo: Army Chaplain (Capt.) Emil Kapaun (right) and Army Capt. Jerome A. Dolan, 1st Cavalry Division, carry an exhausted soldier off the battlefield in Korea, early in the war. (Courtesy photo U.S. Army).

Brig. Gen. Derek Lipson replaced Maj. Gen. Michael Martin as the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command – Korea (SOCKOR) during a change-of-command ceremony at Camp Humphreys, South Korea on June 12, 2023.

The position is a dual-hat role, as both commander of SOCKOR and the United Nations Command Special Operations Component (UNCSOC). Senior members of the U.S. and South Korean military and governments attended the event. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, Christopher Maier, was in attendence.

Martin took command of SOCKOR on June 23, 2021. Prior to that he was the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Director of Operations. Martin began his career as an enlisted Airman in 1985 serving as an Electronic Warfare Technician. After his first enlistment he left the Air Force to attend college and join ROTC. Upon graduation in 1992 from Texas A&M University he received his commission in the Air Force. He began his career in the Combat Control field. He has spent his career in special operations, the air staff, and has had numerous combat deployments. Martin is moving on to be the J3, Director of Operations at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in Florida.

Photo: Major General Martin, SOCKOR commander, hosts senior RoK Officers at Osan Air Base in March 2023. This meeting took place during Exercise Teak Knife. (Photo by SOCKOR).

Lipson was previously assigned as the deputy commanding general support for the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He started his career in the Army in 1990 as a Infantry Platoon Leader. In 1993 he began his long career in Special Forces. Lipson has had numerous overseas and combat deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world.

The mission of Special Operations Command Korea is to plan and conduct special operations in support of the U.S. forces, United Nations forces, and combined forces in times of armistice, crisis, and war. SOKOR is a functional component command of United States Forces Korea. It is tasked to plan and conduct special operations in the Korean theater of operations.

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Video – SOCKOR CoC Ceremony, Defense Now, YouTube, June 13, 2023, 43 minutes. https://www.dvidshub.net/video/886523/sockor-change-command

Biography – Major General Michael E. Martin, U.S. Air Force

Biography – Brigadier General Derek N. Lipson, U.S. Army

Top photo: Image by Special Operations Command Korea, June 12, 2023. Posted on SOCKOR Twitter account.

Maps by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The editor of SOF News had the unique opportunity to interview Maj. Gen. Michael Martin, the commander of Special Operations Command Korea (SOCKOR), during the SOF Week 2023 exhibition in Tampa, Florida. Maj. Gen. Martin provided his insight on the importance of SOCKOR’s mission in Asia and how the command’s interaction with the military forces of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and other allied and partner nations are contributing to the maintenance of peace in that region of Asia.

During the interview the general shared the general aspects of his career. He came from a military family, his dad served in the Air Force. Maj. Gen. Martin started out in the Air Force as an enlisted Airman working in the electronic warfare field. Upon completion of his enlistment, he left the Air Force to attend college. He graduated from Texas A&M University and received his commission into the Air Force in 1992. He began his career as an Air Traffic Control officer and was later accepted into the Combat Control career field.

Maj. Gen. Martin has spent his career in special operations – as well as serving on the air staff, in joint command assignments, and while deployed on numerous combat deployments. Prior to taking command of SOCKOR in June 2021 he was the Director of Operations for Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). His prior assignment was as Deputy Commanding General of NATO Special Operations Component Command – Afghanistan (NSOCC-A) during the 2019 – 2020 timeframe.

Photo: Major General Martin, SOCKOR commander, hosts senior ROK Officers at Osan Air Base in March 2023. (photo courtesy of SOCKOR)

With his tour as commander of SOCKOR soon coming to a close he took some time to reflect on some of the accomplishments and challenges of his past two years. The relationship with the special operations forces of the Republic of Korea is excellent. There are numerous exercises and training events that tie the special operations forces of the United States and Republic of Korea into a tightly knitted SOF community. The U.S. continually sends units and personnel to the Republic of Korea from the SOF units of all the services to participate in exercises.

One challenging aspect of the past few years has been Covid 19. The U.S. Department of Defense issued some very restrictive guidelines that forced units and personnel to adapt how they train and conduct their daily routines. That was one very important aspect of the past two years that required some adaptive measures so that SOCKOR could remain mission ready. South Korea had some very strict measures for the Covid environment; and these policies had to be considered as well.

Another challenging aspect of service in Korea is environmental. The weather in winter months have a limiting effect on military exercises. Training events in a winter environment become difficult – especially in mountainous terrain of South Korea.

One of the balancing acts that a commander must perform is keeping the command 100% mission ready; yet, monitoring the work environment for the command’s personnel – ensuring that they don’t ‘burn out’. Some personnel are on one-year tours and others on longer tours. There is always more work to be done than there is time; so much of the work needs to be prioritized.

The current conflict in Ukraine has provided SOCKOR with some lessons learned that can be implemented into its operations and training. Of note is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and the importance of information operations (IO).

SOCKOR is under COCOM of the USSOCOM commander and OPCON of the United States Pacific Command. It is further delegated to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). SOCKOR is responsible for planning, coordinating, and conducting joint and combined special operations on the Korean peninsula. SOCKOR helps build ROK capacity and capability along three lines of effort:

• Conduct training exercises and events using JCET and JCS exercises
• Employ CA and MISO JCETs with the ROK Ministry of National Defense
• Assist U.S. / ROK interoperability through SF Detachment 39 liaison officers (LNOs)

If hostilities begin with North Korea, elements of SOCKOR and the ROK Army Special Warfare Command, Naval Special Warfare Brigade, and the Air Force Special Operations Squadron will establish the Combined Unconventional Warfare Task Force (CUWTF). The CUWTF would be commanded by a ROK lieutenant general with the SOCKOR commander as his deputy.

Maj. Gen. Martin will soon leave his assignment with SOCKOR. He will next serve as Director of Operations at United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). He will be replaced in mid-2023 by Brig. Gen. Derek Lipson, a Special Forces officer in the U.S. Army, who will become the commander of Special Operations Command Korea.

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Top map derived from Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). All other images from USSOCOM or SOCKOR.

The lingering threat of North Korean nuclear weapons has held the attention of the Trump and previous administrations for several years. It appears that – despite attempts by the U.S. and other countries to engage with the North Korean regime – very little progress has been made to denuclearize North Korea.

Resolving this serious state of affairs is going to be difficult. Negotiations with North Korea do not appear to be making any progress. Some researchers, journalists, and political analysts have speculated that perhaps the dictatorship will be overthrown by a popular movement within North Korea. The hope is that a popular uprising similar to events that transpired in other countries – such as Tunisia, Romania, etc. – would occur in North Korea.

In a recently published article, Andrew Jackson – a senior lecturer of Korean studies at Monash University (Australia), provides a detailed analysis of the prospect of a people’s rebellion in North Korea. He explains why there haven’t been any large scale, popular uprisings in North Korea under the Kim Jong Un.

“Why Has There Been No People’s Power Rebellion in North Korea?”, European Journal of Korean Studies, Volume 18, No. 1 (2018), 34 pages.

The full article can be read online or downloaded at the following link.

http://www.sof.news/pubs/EJKS18.1-PeoplesPowerRebellionInDPRK-Jackson-2018.pdf

The author of the article, Andrew David Jackson, is a Senior Lecturer of Korean Studies at Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
https://arts.monash.edu/languages-literatures-cultures-linguistics/korean-studies-research-hub/

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Maps: Central Intelligence Agency.