South Korea Military Records

Asia South Korea

The South Korean armed forces was a largely rudimentary force until the outbreak of the Korean War. It was heavily damaged by North Korean and Chinese attacks and in the beginning relied almost entirely on American support for weapons, ammunition, and technology. During South Korea's period of rapid growth, the military expanded accordingly, benefiting from several government-sponsored technology transfer projects and indigenous defense capability initiatives. Modernization efforts for the Republic of Korea (ROK) military have been in place since the 1980s.

Registers of Soldiers and Conscripted Laborers (Goon-in kirok kwa Jingbyung Goon-in)
Research Use: These records are a source of birth, locality, and paternity data for individuals not likely to be found in genealogies or most other sources because of lowly status.

Record Type: These are reports listing the names and particulars of conscripted laborers and soldiers.

Background: In addition to the regular taxes paid by each household, Korean commoners were obliged to perform labor in the service of the country. This might include working the fields of noble landowners or civil projects such as building roads and bridges. They also had to do military service if the state called for it.

Time Period: 1797 to 1910.

Contents: Name, age, residence, father's name, hometown; arranged by locality.

Location: Known to exist only as part of the Kyujanggak collection, Seoul National University Library.

Percentage in Family History Library: None.

Population Coverage: Approximately 2%.

Reliability: Excellent.

Preservation of Record/Vulnerability: Most of the original records have been lost or destroyed. The remaining records are maintained under good conditions in the Seoul National University Library but are still subject to loss by fire or natural disasters.