South Korea Keeps Up With North Korea’s Large Artillery Force And Nuclear Arms With Elite Battalion ‘White Tigers’
With North Korea being armed by their controversial nuclear weapons and nearly 700,000 soldiers, South Korea keeps up with their neighbor's military strength through their 707th Special Mission Battalion known as the "White Tiger," reported Business Insider Oct. 21.
The White Tiger is the most elite of the special forces within the Armed Forces of South Korea formed as part of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command. It acts as the country's primary defense unit in terrorist attacks and quick reaction force.
The unit was created by the nation's government following the Munich Massacre in 1972 that led to the death of 11 Israeli Olympics team members during an attack by the Palestinian terrorist organization, Black September.
South Korea's White Tiger consists of male and female volunteers from all military branches and a few handpicked individuals by their superiors. The army conducts a background check on the applicants, followed by a rigorous 10-day procedure where 90 percent are eliminated.
In an article by the Soldier of Fortune on May 10, it noted that the female soldiers of the White Tiger are treated equally as their male counterparts. Their selection is even more difficult given the limited slots for their platoon unit.
All members of the unit are trained in Tae Kwon Do until the black-belt level and are required to undergo winter training where they conduct drills and exercises on snow covered terrain and frozen rivers. They are also trained to be parachute and scuba certified.
The White Tiger trains with foreign allies, including the Delta Force of the U.S. Army, Alpha Group of Russia, Special Air Service of the British Army, Joint Task Force 2 of Canada, National Gendarmerie Intervention Group of the French Armed Forces, Special Duties Unit of the Hong Kong Police Force and the Special Tactics and Rescue of the Singapore Police Force.
Trainings with overseas partners is for the purpose of boosting the soldiers' combat knowledge and skills, as well as to establish relations with foreign Special Forces communities.
The unit has also reportedly held missions on North Korea's mainland.