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The South Korean presence in the Vietnam War was more important than
being about a tenth of the US forces. In my study I estimated in
terms of combat forces, those who actually fought the enemy and
determined that 20% of the infantry combat power on the ground was
Korean at the height (67-68) of the war. It was a significant
contribution. This was because while most of the American forces
were "tail" that provided support, most of the Koreans were "heads"
that received support from MACV. Thai forces did not see combat.
After Koreans the Australians were the largest contingent.<br>
<br>
Jiyul Kim<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 4/17/2012 2:08 PM, don kirk wrote:
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<div>Soviet role in Korean War, notably pilots but also
some advisers, was far far higher than that of NKorean
pilots in Vietnam. Role of the latter was indeed minor
-- not so the Soviets in Korean War. They did a lot.
Yes, SKorean contingent was the largest, about a tenth
that of the U.S., but Thailand sent a division and
Aussies also had a rather large force -- albeit much
smaller than the SKoreans. (Philippines had a civic
action group in which Fidel Ramos served as a lieutenant
fresh out of West Point.)</div>
<div>Don<br>
<br>
--- On <b>Tue, 4/17/12, Charles K. Armstrong <i><a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:cra10@columbia.edu"><cra10@columbia.edu></a></i></b>
wrote:<br>
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From: Charles K. Armstrong <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:cra10@columbia.edu"><cra10@columbia.edu></a><br>
Subject: Re: [KS] North Korean Pilots had flown in
Combat against the U.S. during the Vietnam War<br>
To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws">koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws</a><br>
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 11:11 AM<br>
<br>
<div class="plainMail">Dear Kwang-On,<br>
<br>
This is interesting but I would hardly say North Korea
was "deeply involved" compared to South Korea. North
Korean pilots engaging American air power is
reminiscent of Soviet pilots in the Korean War. Both
the Soviets in the Korean War and the North Koreans in
Vietnam kept their involvement quiet. In the North
Korean case the call for restraint may have come from
the North Vietnamese and Chinese, and perhaps the
Soviets as well, who did not want to risk a wider war
with the US. I came across a source that suggested Kim
Il Sung offered to send more aid to North Vietnam,
including combat troops, but Ho Chi Minh refused
(exactly why is unclear). Chiang Kai-shek offered to
send ROC troops but the Americans did not want to
provoke the PRC. The fact remains that the ROK was the
only non-Vietnamese, non-US ally on either side to
send large numbers of front-line combat troops into
the war.<br>
--Charles K. Armstrong<br>
Professor of History<br>
Director, Center for Korean Research<br>
Columbia University<br>
930 International Affairs Building<br>
420 West 118th Street<br>
New York, NY 10027<br>
<br>
Tel: 212-854-1721<br>
Fax: 212-749-1497<br>
<br>
<br>
Quoting Kwang On Yoo <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://us.mc394.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lovehankook@gmail.com"
ymailto="mailto:lovehankook@gmail.com">lovehankook@gmail.com</a>>:<br>
<br>
> Not only South Koreans but North Koreans were
also deeply involved in the<br>
> Vietnam War.<br>
> <br>
> According to documents published on December 5,
2011 by The Woodrow Wilson<br>
> International Center in Washington, D.C., not
only did North Korea send<br>
> pilots to Vietnam to fight against the U.S. but
North Koreans spied on the<br>
> South Korean troops' fighting tactics,
techniques, combat readiness and<br>
> morale at the same time.<br>
> <br>
> The Woodrow Wilson International Center's
Documentation follows:<br>
> <br>
> *North Korean Pilots in the Skies over Vietnam:*<br>
> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/nkidp-e-dossier-no-2-north-korean-pilots-the-skies-over-vietnam"
target="_blank">http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/nkidp-e-dossier-no-2-north-korean-pilots-the-skies-over-vietnam</a><br>
> <br>
> <br>
> *North Koreans Spied on the South Korean Military
in Vietnam:*<br>
> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/romanian-document-confirms-north-korea-sent-troops-to-vietnam"
target="_blank">http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/romanian-document-confirms-north-korea-sent-troops-to-vietnam</a><br>
> <br>
> <br>
> Kwang-On Yoo<br>
> <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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