[KS] North Korean Pilots had flown in Combat against the U.S. during the Vietnam War

[jiyulkim at gmail.com]

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.

Jiyul Kim



On 4/17/2012 2:08 PM, don kirk wrote:
> 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.)
> Don
>
> --- On *Tue, 4/17/12, Charles K. Armstrong /<cra10 at columbia.edu>/* wrote:
>
>
>     From: Charles K. Armstrong <cra10 at columbia.edu>
>     Subject: Re: [KS] North Korean Pilots had flown in Combat against
>     the U.S. during the Vietnam War
>     To: koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
>     Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 11:11 AM
>
>     Dear Kwang-On,
>
>     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.
>     --Charles K. Armstrong
>     Professor of History
>     Director, Center for Korean Research
>     Columbia University
>     930 International Affairs Building
>     420 West 118th Street
>     New York, NY 10027
>
>     Tel: 212-854-1721
>     Fax: 212-749-1497
>
>
>     Quoting Kwang On Yoo <lovehankook at gmail.com
>     <http://us.mc394.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lovehankook@gmail.com>>:
>
>     > Not only South Koreans but North Koreans were also deeply
>     involved in the
>     > Vietnam War.
>     >
>     > According to documents published on December 5, 2011 by The
>     Woodrow Wilson
>     > International Center in Washington, D.C., not only did North
>     Korea send
>     > pilots to Vietnam to fight against the U.S. but North Koreans
>     spied on the
>     > South Korean troops' fighting tactics, techniques, combat
>     readiness and
>     > morale at the same time.
>     >
>     > The Woodrow Wilson International Center's Documentation follows:
>     >
>     > *North Korean Pilots in the Skies over Vietnam:*
>     >
>     http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/nkidp-e-dossier-no-2-north-korean-pilots-the-skies-over-vietnam
>     >
>     >
>     > *North Koreans Spied on the South Korean Military in Vietnam:*
>     >
>     http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/romanian-document-confirms-north-korea-sent-troops-to-vietnam
>     >
>     >
>     > Kwang-On Yoo
>     >
>
>
>
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