Republic of Korea Army Ground Operations Command

According Lee Min-hyung of The Korea Times, the Ministry of National Defense pushed for the establishment of the Ground Operations Command since 1998, with calls to decrease the number of soldiers and improve operational efficiency under a single control point.^[3]

In 2015, the government announced its intention to establish a command to be in charge of the army's ground operations by 2018, after delaying the transfer of control of troops in case of war.^[4]

The Ground Operations Command has been created by combining the ROK Army's First and Third Army commands, which defended the eastern and western frontline areas.^[1] The establishment of the command was part of President Moon Jae-in's military reform plan.^[5] On 16 April 2020, Special Operations Commander, Lieutenant General Nam Young-sin, was promoted to General and appointed as the Ground Operations Commander.

According to General Woon-yong Kim, the mission entrusted to the Ground Operations Command consists of deterring the full spectrum of threats by maintaining watertight readiness posture even outside open wartime. To this end, the Ground Operations Command guards the Military Demarcation Line in combat readiness.^[6]

In the event of an outbreak of war, the Ground Operations Command will serve as the Ground Component Command under the combined forces command of South Korea and the United States.^[1]

The Ground Operations Command consists of:^[1]