3rd Infantry Division (South Korea)

First formed as the 3rd brigade on December 1, 1947. On December 24, 1949, the division conducted the Mungyeong massacre.[1] The unit was upgraded to a division on May 12, 1949.[2] On June 25, 1950, the North Korean army began to attack South Korea during outbreak of war. The division was under the direct control of the Republic of Korea Army after the first fall of Seoul. It became part of the defensive line to slow the North Korean advance from Seoul to Daejeon. It also fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter.[3] After the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, fierce battles were fought in the harbor village of Pohang 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.[4] 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. They are the frontline troops.[5] The division has since 1991 maintained a traditional guard of honour unit based on ancient Korean guard units dating back to the 6th century. It was created after president Roh Tae-woo reviewed the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the Commander-in-Chief's Guard of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment during his visit to the White House that year. Since then, the unit has taken the role of officially welcoming heads of state and other dignitaries and changing guard duties outside the Gyeongbokgung.

Troops of the Division dressed in traditional uniforms.

• Headquarters:
  • Anti-Tank Company
  • DMZ Patrol Company
  • Armor Battalion
  • Signal Battalion
  • Reconnaissance Battalion
  • Engineer Battalion
  • Support Battalion
  • Medical Battalion
  • Chemical Battalion
  • Traditional Unit
• 18th Infantry Regiment
• 22nd Infantry Regiment
• 23rd Infantry Regiment
• Artillery Regiment

• List of massacres in South Korea