707th Special Mission Group

The 707th Special Mission Group (Hangul: 제707특수임무단, Hanja: 第707特殊任務大隊) is an elite counter-terrorism unit of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command.

707th Special Mission Group
제707특수임무단
Operators from the 707th Special Mission Group
Active17 April 1981 – present
Country South Korea
Allegiance Government of South Korea
Branch Republic of Korea Army
TypeSpecial Forces
Role
Size200 personnel[1]
Part ofROKA Special Warfare Command
Garrison/HQIcheon, South Korea
Nickname(s)White Tiger[2]

History

The unit was formed after the Munich massacre, which forced the South Korean government to create a counter-terrorist unit in time for the 1988 Olympics that would be held in South Korea.[3] In 1984, B Squadron of Delta Force traveled to South Korea to conduct training with the 707th.[4]

The 707th Group has about 200 men and women organized in two assault companies, one support company, and one all-female company that could be used as bodyguards or for low-visibility operations, all divided into fourteen-man operating teams, as well as support and demolition teams.[5][6][7]

The unit has also been called on by the South Korean government to prioritize potential counter-terrorist operations against any possible threats on South Korean soil.[8] The unit is South Korea's primary counter-terrorist and quick reaction force. The unit's soldiers – once distinguished by their black berets (before the standardization of the black beret for all active soldiers) – are tasked with conducting urban counter-terrorist missions, and constitute the Army's quick-reaction force for emergencies.[9] The unit's nickname is 'White Tiger.'[2]

The unit has a small number of female special forces operatives. They are used in counter-terrorism operations where the presence of a woman is not seen as a threat to a terrorist.[3]

In February 2019, the former 707th Special Mission Battalion was reorganized and renamed into the 707th Special Mission Group (Hangul: 제707특수임무단) with additional personnel and equipment to ensure higher readiness against various threats.[10] It is now commanded by a Colonel instead of a Lieutenant Colonel.

1982 Korean Air Force transport crash
Main article: February 1982 Korean Air Force C-123 accident

On 5 February 1982, the unit suffered a devastating blow, when a Fairchild C-123J carrying 47 of its members, along with six Korean Air Force personnel, were killed in a crash while on approach to Jeju International Airport, Jeju, South Korea.[11][12][13] It was the deadliest peacetime accident the Korean armed forces experienced since the Korean War, with the exception of another Air Force C-123 that crashed into Mt. Choenggye on 1 June 1982, killing 53, including 49 paratroopers and four air force personnel.[14]

Training

The recruitment process usually involves conscripts from different branches of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces who apply and try out to become members of the elite force. Others are handpicked by their superiors across the different branches of the military and try out like their applicant counterparts. The selection process is very rigorous. First applicants will undergo a background check and then undergo a 10-day procedure in which 90% are eliminated.

All members of the 707th Group are SCUBA and parachute qualified. It is reported that members frequently perform daily calisthenics in the snow and sub-zero temperatures and will swim in freezing lakes without any thermal protection.[15]

707th maintains close ties with similar units from around the globe, including Singapore's STAR team, Australian SAS's Tactical Assault Group (TAG), Hong Kong's Special Duties Unit (SDU), although the unit's closest ties are with the US Army's 1st Special Forces Group, and the 1st SFOD-D.[16][17]

The 707th Group also owns and operates a multi-complex counter-terrorism training site for the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command and hosts multi-national counter-terrorist training.[18]

707th Special Mission Group snipers in United Arab Emirates.

Since 2011, the 707th Special Mission Group has maintained presence in the United Arab Emirates as part of the South Korean Special Operations Forces contingent, named 'Akh Unit,' deployed there to train local forces.[19]

Weaponry and equipment
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References
  1. Illustrated Directory of Special Forces, p. 70, at Google Books
  2. Republic of Korea. Retrieved on November 1, 2007.
  3. Special Operations and Counterterrorist Forces. Archived 2005-12-04 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on November 1, 2007.
  4. https://thenewsrep.com/79009/special-forces-detachment-korea-south-korean-counter-terrorism-and-the-all-female-ct-company-part-14/
  5. "Article about 707th SMG". November 9, 2014.
  6. Bonds, Ray; Miller, David (13 February 2003). "Illustrated Directory of Special Forces". Voyageur Press – via Google Books.
  7. "Special Forces Detachment Korea: South Korean Counter-Terrorism and the all-female CT company (Part 14) - SOFREP". 5 May 2017.
  8. Korean Forces Strengthen Counter-Terrorism Posture After al-Qaida Warning. Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on November 1, 2007.
  9. 707th. Archived 2012-04-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on May 25, 2011.
  10. Article in Asia Today, Retrieved on June 4, 2019.
  11. "53 special troops killed in operation". jejusori.net. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  12. "53 South Korean soldiers killed in transport crash". Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  13. "Around the world military air crash kills 53 in South Korea". nytimes.com. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  14. "Accident description". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  15. 707th South Korea. Archived 2012-04-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on May 25, 2011.
  16. 707th Special Missions Battalion. Retrieved on November 1, 2007.
  17. Reports Discuss Korea's 707th Special Mission Unit. Archived 2004-10-22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on November 1, 2007.
  18. Republic of Korea. Retrieved on May 25, 2011.
  19. Article in Chosun Ilbo
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