Military Service Diary

​The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (Hangul: 대한민국국군; Hanja: 大韩民国国军), or South Korean Armed Forces, is the primary defense force of the Republic of South Korea. The South Korean forces are one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world, with approximately 3,600,000 personnel as of 2022 (500,000 active duty and 3,100,000 reserves).

Established in 1948 following the division of the Korean Peninsula, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces are one of the largest in the world, with a reported troop strength of 3.853 million in 2010 (653,000 active duty and 3.2 million regular reserves).

The military of the Republic of Korea is responsible for maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, but has often been involved in humanitarian and disaster relief efforts throughout the country. More recently, the military has begun to increase its involvement in international affairs, recognizing its role and responsibility as the fifteenth largest economic power in the world in terms of GDP. The South Korean military has participated in several peacekeeping and counter-terrorism operations.

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Resource:  Wikipedia

The Republic of Korea Army Band (ROK Army Band; Korean: 대한민국 육군군악대) is a South Korean state ceremonial unit of the Republic of Korea Army that is the representative marching band of the ROK Army and the oldest in the ROK Armed Forces, reporting directly to the Army Capital Defense Command. It specializes in Korean traditional and martial music and modernized adaptations of folk songs for performance during concerts. It primarily performs at state arrival ceremonies at the Blue House in Seoul with the Joint Service Honor Guard. It was formed in the 1950s as a result of a pan-ROKAF creation of military bands.

In 2003, the band participated in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It participated in the Virginia International Tattoo in 2007 and 2010. A notable public relations moment for the band occurred in September 2017, when it participated in a drumline competition between the ROK Band's drumline and the United States Marine Corps' III Marine Expeditionary Force Band. After the competitive moment ended, the III MEF band director referred to it as a "tie". 

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Musicians must be between 18 and 28 years old at the time of joining and must have an academic degree recognized by the Ministry of National Defence. All musicians are civilian volunteers, following the example of the military bands of Canada and the United Kingdom. Once every two months, military officers are selected from among the enlisted members of the band.

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Resource:  Wikipedia

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The official website of the South Korean Army is: www.army.mil.kr. This website provides information about the army, including news, history, organizational structure, and compulsory military service.

The Goondori app is used in South Korea to track military service. It allows family and friends to receive updates and information about their loved ones’ enlistment, as well as monitor their remaining military service time. The app is also used to share news and information about recruits with loved ones. 

To use the Goondori app, follow these steps: 

1. Download the app: 

Goondori is available for download on mobile devices. 

2. Create an account: 

You will need to create an account to use the app, and you will likely need some information about the recruit to link them to your account. 

3. Add the recruit: 

Once your account is created, add the recruit to your profile using the information provided. 

4. Receive updates: 

The app will send you updates about the recruit’s military service, such as their remaining time and other relevant information. 

 5. Share information:

You can also share information about the recruit with others who want to follow their military service.

The Goondori app is a useful tool for keeping in touch with friends and family who are serving in South Korea and for following their progress during their military service.

Cha Eun-Woo has been approved to fulfill his military duty in the Army Band. His enlistment is scheduled for July 28, 2025 and we will be proudly supporting his military service with the South Korean Armed Forces! Congratulations, Lee Dong-Min! We await you with our hearts full of longing! Keep shining and leaving your magical example of a dignified and hard-working man!

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We will soon be introducing the Biography Blog Mascot, who will be responsible for sharing news about our Prince's period of military service.

Let´s introducing Lee Soldier!

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Welcome, to AROHA!

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