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, ...
: 八機動師團), also known as Roly Poly Toy Division ( ko, 오뚜기부대), 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 ...
and is unit is one of four divisions under the command of the VII Maneuver Corps. Before the unit was renamed on January 1, 2021, it was called the 8th Mechanized Infantry Division.
History
The unit initially comprised the 10th, 16th and 21st Regiments. The 16th Infantry Regiment was originally activated as the 16th Regiment on October 28, 1948, at
Masan
Masan is an administrative region of Changwon, a city in the South Gyeongsang Province. It was formerly an independent city from 1949 until 30 June 2010, when it was absorbed to Changwon along with Jinhae. Masan was redistricted as two distric ...
and was first commanded by Lt. Col. Park Shi Ch'ang.
The 8th Infantry Division was activated as the 8th Division on June 20, 1949 at Kangnung and was first commanded by Brig. General Lee Hyong Kun. The unit originally comprised the 10th and 21st Regiments.
Following its activation the 8th Division was positioned near the 38th parallel.
On 1 December 2011, 8th Infantry Division has finished the switch to mechanized infantry.
On 1 December 2016, 8th Mechanized Infantry Division was reassigned from V Corps to VII Corps in order to prepare for future reorganization.
On 30 November 2018, 8th Mechanized Infantry Division was consolidated with 26th Mechanized Infantry Division. Although 8th Division retained its name, its original subordinate forces were either dissolved or replaced.
On 1 January 2021, the 8th Mechanized Infantry Division was renamed the 8th Maneuver Division.
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 of ...
. Was part of the defensive line to slow the North Korean advance from
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 of ...
to
Taejon
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 ...
. 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 ...
.
Supporting the
Eighth United States Army
The Eighth Army is a U.S. field army which is the commanding formation of all United States Army forces in South Korea. It commands U.S. and South Korean units and is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys,China, the 24th Division and the attached
British 27th Brigade
The 27th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw service in the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War. In Korea, the brigade was known as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade due to the addition of Ca ...
positioned on the left, proceeded to the Chongchon; the ROK II Corps, with the ROK 1st Division, advanced on the right. To the east the 8th Division reached
Tokchon
Tŏkch'ŏn () is a ''si'', or city, in northern South P'yŏngan province, North Korea. It is bordered by Nyŏngwŏn and Maengsan to the east, Kujang county in North P'yŏngan province to the north, Kaech'ŏn to the west and Pukch'ang to the ...
, forty miles north of
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...
, during the night of October 23, and then turned north and arrived at Kujang-dong on the
Chongchon River
The Ch'ŏngch'ŏn is a river of North Korea having its source in the Rangrim Mountains of Chagang Province and emptying into the Yellow Sea at Sinanju. The river flows past Myohyang-san and through the city of Anju, South P'yŏngan Province. ...
, about ten miles from Tokchon, two days later. After the Chinese intervention in the war, Chinese troops broke the defences of its 16th Regiment during the battle on October 31, 1950.
After the Chinese intervention and attacks in November 1950, the division was among five allied formations (including the ROK 6th, 7th, and 8th Divisions) that the U.S. Army judged 'were shattered units that would need extensive rest and refitting to recover combat effectiveness.'
Current disposition
December 1, 2011, 8th Infantry Division has finished the switch to mechanized infantry; and is previously part of the combined divisions of the U.S. and South Korean forces, the wartime command was the 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. December 1, 2016, 8th Mechanized Infantry Division was reassigned from V Corps to VII Corps in order to prepare for future reorganization.
November 30, 2018, 8th Mechanized Infantry Division was consolidated with 26th Mechanized Infantry Division. Although 8th Division retained its name, its original subordinate forces were either dissolved or replaced. On 1 January 2021, the 8th Mechanized Infantry Division was renamed the 8th Maneuver Division.
* Headquarters:
** Engineer Battalion
** Intelligence Battalion
** Support Battalion
** Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
** Medical Battalion
** Signal Battalion
** CBR Battalion
** Air Defense Battalion
** Military Police Battalion
** Replacement Company
** Headquarters Company
* 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade (known as Cavalry Brigade, formerly under Capital Mechanized Infantry Division)
**1st Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company
**101st Mechanized Infantry Battalion (
K21
The K21 is a South Korean infantry fighting vehicle. A replacement for the K200-series, it was formerly designated as K300 or XK21 KNIFV (Korea Next-generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle). The initial production began in 2009, with the Republic of ...
Capital Mechanized Infantry Division
The Capital Mechanized Infantry Division ( ko, 수도기계화보병사단, hanja: 首都機械化步兵師團), also known as Fierce Tiger Division ( ko, 맹호부대, hanja: 猛虎部隊), is currently one of the six mechanized infantry divisio ...
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 ...