South Korean units were as tough and professional as any in the United States Army or Marines, and came to be justly feared by the communists. More than 300,000 Korean troops passed through Vietnam at some point, and more than 5,000 were killed.
Korean soldiers were highly motivated. Because of their own struggle with Stalinist North Korea, they hated communists. They were also tough. Each man was trained in the art of tae kwon do, with 30 minutes’ practice forming an integral part of morning physical training. They were also subjected to harsh discipline. Two soldiers who raped a Vietnamese woman were executed before their company.
I was with the 69th Armor of the 4th Inf Division in an operation with the 3rd Bn of the S.Korean Tiger regiment near the Cambodian border. They killed close to 200 VC when the VC launched an all out assault on their night defensive position. I think that they suffered no more than a handful of killed and wounded.
I never saw any finer bunch of highly motivated fighting men during my entire time in Vietnam.
My Vietnam-veteran Father in law said that if the ROK’s received a single round from a village, they would level it. Such was their hatred of communists.