"All Wars are Fought Twice" : A Korean Soldier's Perspective on the Viet Nam War
The Tiger Division's Arrival in Vietnam, 1968
The USS Upshur and USS Barrett took South Korean soldiers from Busan to Vietnam. The Tiger Division of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army arrived in Quy Nhơn in 1965, with another regiment and infantry division following shortly after in 1966. These Korean soldiers were trained for guerrilla combat, and thus were sent out to seek and destroy the enemy. They were considered "terrors" to the North Vietnamese, and the Tiger Division had gained a reputation for their ruthless fighting skills.
In January 31st of 1968, Steve Min left Busan as a soldier in the 1st Infantry Searching Company of the Tiger Division. When his boat arrived in Quy Nhơn port, he was immediately greeted with the realities of war: the North Vietnamese troops had attacked the city and taken over, the battle still raging on as Min watched. For three days, Min and the other Korean soldiers on the boat were unable to step foot into the city. Once "safe" enough to dock, a shotgun was immediately thrusted into Min's arms as they led him to the Tiger Division Headquarters.
But in a war remembered to "only" be between the United States and Vietnam, why did South Korea send over soldiers to fight? And why were these Korean soldiers, such as Steve Min, willing to fight a war that was not "theirs"?
Photo of Steve Min holding a gun, taken in 1969 at the Korean Military Troop Company.
"There's a very sad country that time. Sad situation. No freedom. No peace. Look like animal with South Korea. Worse than animal, I can say."
Mr. Min's Early Childhood in War
Korean War ["6.25 정전"]
Following the Defeat of Japan in WW2, the Allied leaders decided to temporarily split Korea along the 38th parallel until they deemed Korea ready for self rule. Backed by Americans, Syngman Rhee won the election in southern part of Korea, while in the northern part of Korea, the Soviet Union backed Kim Il-sung. After years of mutual hostility towards each other, the North launched an offensive surprise attack the morning of June 25, 1950 with the goal of reuniting the Korean peninsula under communist rule. This marked the official start of the Korean War, a war that—on a technicality—is still ongoing today given that the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement only called for a stalemate and not an official end. The DMZ (the Korean Demilitarized Zone) was established as a de-facto border that still divides the peninsula to this day.
Steve Min ("Min Seong-wook") was 5 years old when the Korean War first broke out. Living in the poor country side of Gyeongnam Province, Steve Min recalled seeing the Republic of Korea (ROK) army—"South Korean army"—moving towards the mountains and fields every morning as they headed into combat against the Korean People's Army (KPA)—"North Korean army." The situation at night was more dangerous, however, as they couldn't watch from a distance. North Korean soldiers would come to his home demanding food so they could take it back to their mountain base. As a result, Min and his family experienced great starvation, a widespread experience that was shared with the majority of the people residing in Gyeongnam Province. For the remaining three years, there was never a moment of peace as air bombers continuously assaulted the area. The Korean Peninsula became a battlefield that forced its civilians to live "like animals," and the impact of the so-called Forgotten War still remains in the memories of those who unfortunately had to live through it.
"And that time I heard, you know, [the] Korean government made the decision to send the Korean combat and many field of troops to Vietnam War to help Vietnam against the North Vietnam... I heard about that... So that’s why I joined the Vietnam War. I don’t—I didn’t care about my life, you know? If I die, it is okay. I already made a decision to give my life to God to keep the freedom and peace."
Korea's Entrance into the Viet Nam War
Under the regime of Park Chung-hee, South Korea took an active role in Vietnam, sending as much as ~300,000 troops between the year of 1964 and 1973. President Park was very motivated by a personal desire to create an industrial military complex, that, for the first time in history, would shift the balance of peninsular power in favor of the South. With the “Brown Memorandum” defining the relationship between the United States and South Korea as “quid pro quo” in nature, the United States agreed to bear all of the costs of deploying Korean troops in Vietnam and between the years of 1963 and 1968, Korean sales to Vietnam via exports, military procurement, and services totaled to ~$380 million.
But for the Korean public there was a much more altruistic motivation for Korea’s participation in Vietnam as highlighted through Min's story:
When Min was in his early 20s (c. 1965-1966), he was drafted into the Korean Army. According to South Korea's conscription law, male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to perform compulsory military service. However, it was not mandatory to serve in Vietnam for the duration of Korea's participation in Viet Nam War. Going was a personal choice, and Min made the sole decision to serve in Vietnam for a year and a half without discussing it over with his parents. Had he talked with his parents, he would have gotten a response similar to: "No, no, no. You cannot go... if you go, you will die," as it was the popular consensus at the time. But for Min and most of the other Korean soldiers who volunteered to go to Vietnam, their decision was influenced by a childhood spent surviving the Korean War. With the Korean War and the Viet Nam War mirroring each other as war-torn countries divided between a communist North and a democratic South, these Korean men felt immense empathy for the Vietnamese civilians. This connection between them was their motivation to fight, and Min didn't care for his life as long as he could "fight against communism for the peace and freedom."
"We were happy to fight our enemy, to destroy the enemy who destroyed the freedom and the peace. Because we learned, we educated our minds. Our value is freedom and peace."
Maps of Min's service (from left to right): world map, map of Vietnam, and provincial map of Phù Cát.
Photo of Steve Min standing in front of the barracks, taken in 1969 at the Korean Military Troop Company.
Behind the Fence: Isolated in Viet Nam
Min described the Viet Nam War as a "dirty war," due to the fact that he could not differentiate who the enemies were; without the uniforms, the North Vietnamese soldiers looked like ordinary civilians. This confusion over who was the enemy was common among American soldiers, with them sometimes confusing ROK army members for the "enemy." However, Min's account is one of the few that gives a Korean, or Asian, perspective on the same phenomenon. It perhaps speaks to the nature of war, and how soldiers fighting on the battlefield are the civilians at home.
Although the ROK's Tiger Division was known for its fighting and Min was in a combat infantry, Min's recollection of his time in Vietnam did not focus on the battles he lived through. Instead, his story revealed a different side to the Tiger Division as he mainly recalled the supply missions his infantry was responsible for. During the day, Min would retrieve supplies for his company with a team of soldiers, given that it was forbidden to go outside the company fences at night. As a result, Min's infantry and company had minimal contact with outsiders. When Min did talk about his time on the battlefield, he emphasized his company's principles of saving the lives of civilians: it was important to save one civilian, even if it meant missing the chance to take down ten North Vietnamese soldiers. However, this did not mean cruelty to the North Vietnamese soldiers either, as Min also emphasized how his company would spare the lives of North Vietnamese soldiers who were captured. Subsequently, Min's narrative on the Viet Nam War is one that is full of isolation and lacks the expectant gore of battle, contrasting sharply with the established narrative of the Korean Tiger Division.
American Friends [미국 친구들이]:
As with any child that grew up during the Korean War, there has always been a favorable first impression of the American G.Is who "saved our Korea." During the Viet Nam War, these "children"—now soldiers—had the opportunity to be more than just wartime allies with their hero, they had the opportunity to become friends with them both on and off the battlefield.
As a member of the ROK army that could speak English, Min was able to develop a strong friendship with the American Air Force team. One of his favorite interactions was building a makeshift theater together, with the American team providing the materials and the Korean team constructing the theater. During the opening ceremony, the ROK army invited the American Air force team to enjoy a good time and take photos together. This friendship continued after the war, with Min and his American friend writing letters to each other and even reminiscing on their time together in Vietnam when his American friend came to Korea.
Even though Min characterized the Viet Nam War as a "dirty war," he was still able to recall the "ordinary" moments that remind us that war is more than just battles and operations. One of these reminders was the Tiger Division’s strong reaction to the C-ration, the combat food provided when fresh food (A-ration) or packaged unprepared food (B-ration) were not available. Min adamantly expressed his dislike for bean soup and meatballs, claiming that the best meal he had was the canned coffee.
Photo of Steve Min standing in front of a Korean sign that says "military camp S-4," taken in 1969 at the Korean Military Troop Company.
"I was very happy to do that. Still, I have in my mind, like my second hometown, you know, Vietnam. Before I come to United States, that was my second hometown."
Photo of Steve Min taken before his oral history interview at the Haskett Branch of the Anaheim Library on November 9th, 2022.
Service off the Battlefield
Although Min only served for one and a half years in Vietnam, the war and the war-torn country of Vietnam left a deep impression on him.
His time serving ultimately had a profound impact on his mindset. After returning home from the war, Min had rejected any military medals awarded to him, expressing that the value of fighting for peace and freedom did not need to be defined by a medal. Min is proud of his dedication to save Vietnam and believes that serving in the military is a valuable experience that young people should undergo, as it will "improve your life in the future." Even though it has been years since Min was last on the battlefield, his proud mindset regarding the military remains, indicating the lasting impact of the war: Min's oral history ends with him encouraging us, 20 year old interviewers, to enlist in the army, otherwise we would be "missing something important" if we don't.
Moreover, Min gave part of his youth to the war in Vietnam, and in return, Vietnam gave him a second hometown. Despite the battles and tragedies Min experienced in his time serving, fondness for the country remains in his heart as he has revisited Vietnam multiple times since. He conducts his imports/exports/distribution business in Vietnam while visiting many friends in the Saigon area. On those visits, Min has also gotten involved with helping Vietnamese youth by sponsoring their education.
In the present, Min resides in Koreatown and is the liaison for Chapter 756 of the Associates Vietnam Veterans of America for Korean Veterans in Long Beach, California. He is actively advocating for Korean veteran rights as he brings awareness to H.R. 234, a bill introduced by Mark Takano to treat members of the ROK who served in Vietnam as veterans of the Armed Forces of the U.S., for the purpose of equal health care access provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Evidently, while the war is long over, it still lives on for Min and many soldiers like him.
Annotated Bibliography
Baldwin, Frank. 2019. “America's rented troops: South Koreans in Vietnam.” Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars 7, no. 4 (July). https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.1975.10406389.
Bryan, Paige. 2019. Evolution of Student Movements in South Korea and Their Impact on the Formation of Korean Democracy. N.p.: Fordham University.
Kim, Joungwon Alexander. “Korean Participation in the Vietnam War.” World Affairs 129, no. 1 (1966): 28–35.http://www.jstor.org/stable/20670745.
Kwak, Tae Yang. 2006. The Anvil of War: the Legacies of Korean Paripaction in the Vietnam War. N.p.: Harvard University. ProQuest.
Jo, Eun Seo. “Fighting for Peanuts: Reimagining South Korean Soldiers’ Participation in the Wǒllam Boom.” The Journal of American-East Asian Relations 21, no. 1 (2014): 58–87. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43898364.
Jung-Oong, Bae. “Korean Soldier Tells ‘Why I Am in Vietnam.’” Vietnam Perspectives 1, no. 1 (1965): 29–30. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30182460.