The 3rd Infantry Division ( ko, 제3보병사단,

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

: 第三步兵師團) is a military formation of the

Republic of Korea Army The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ko, 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國陸軍; RR: ''Daehanminguk Yuk-gun''), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the l ...

History

First formed as the 3rd brigade on December 1, 1947. On December 24, 1949, the division conducted the

Mungyeong massacre The Mungyeong Massacre ( ko, 문경 양민학살 사건, Hanja: 聞慶良民虐殺事件) was a massacre conducted by 2nd and 3rd platoon, 7th company, 3rd battalion, 25th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division of the South Korean Army on 24 D ...

. The unit was upgraded to a division on May 12, 1949. On June 25, 1950, the North Korean army began to invade South Korea during the outbreak of war. The division was under the direct control of the

after the first fall of

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

. It became part of the defensive line to slow the North Korean advance from

Daejeon Daejeon () is South Korea's fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of 1.5 million as of 2019. Located in the central-west region of South Korea alongside forested hills and the Geum River, the city is known both for its technology and ...

. It also fought in the

Battle of Pusan Perimeter The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter ( ko, 부산 교두보 전투) was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the ...

. After the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, fierce battles were fought in the harbor village of

Pohang Pohang () is a city in the province of North Gyeongsang, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River. The city is divided into two wa ...

between the 3rd Division and the NKPA's 5th Division. The 3rd finally captured the village during the morning of September 20, 1950. They continued to attack aggressively, forcing a disorderly withdrawal by the NKPA toward Yongdok. During the course of the war, the 3rd Infantry Division took part in over 150 battles, killing and capturing more than 51,000 enemy soldiers. It is also known as the invincible unit because it has never lost a single battle. Since 1991 the division has maintained a traditional guard of honour unit at the

Gyeongbokgung Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...

in Seoul to perform ceremonial duties, such as welcoming heads of state and

changing of the guard Guard mounting, changing the guard, or the changing of the guard, is a formal ceremony in which sentries performing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate a ...

. The unit performs a historical re-enactment of the ceremony and don traditional attire and weaponry. The unit was created after president

Roh Tae-woo Roh Tae-woo (; ; 4 December 1932 – 26 October 2021) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the sixth president of South Korea from 1988 to 1993. Roh was a close ally and friend of Chun Doo-hwan, the predecessor leader ...

reviewed the

Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps is one of four premier musical organizations of the United States Army. Members perform using musical instruments and wearing uniforms similar to those used by military musicians of the Co ...

and the

Commander-in-Chief's Guard The Commander-in-Chief's Guard, commonly known as Washington's Life Guard, was a unit of the Continental Army that protected General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Formed in 1776, the Guard was with Washington in all o ...

of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment during his visit to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

that year and decided that the Korean Army should have a unit for similar functions. The first ceremony took place in 1996 after extensive research and consultation with historians and experts on details from commands used to accessories and attire worn.

Current structure

*Headquarters: **Headquarters Company **Anti-Tank Company **DMZ Patrol Company **Air Defense Company **Armor Battalion **Signal Battalion **Reconnaissance Battalion **Engineer Battalion **Support Battalion **Medical Battalion **Chemical Battalion *18th Infantry Brigade *22nd Infantry Brigade *23rd Infantry Brigade *Artillery Brigade

References

InfDiv0003 InfDiv0003SK Military units and formations established in 1949

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Cheorwon County {{Mil-unit-stub