13th Special Mission Brigade (South Korea)
| 13th Special Mission Brigade (Airborne) | |
|---|---|
| Active | July 1, 1977 (as the 13th Special Force Brigade) December 1, 2017 (as the 13th Special Mission Brigade) |
| Country |  South Korea |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Jeungpyeong County, North Chungcheong Province |
| Nickname(s) | Heukpyo (Black panther) |
The 13th Special Mission Brigade (Korean: 제13특수임무여단; Hanja: 第一三機動分隊旅團), also referred to as "Black Panther" (흑표) and "Decapitation Unit" (참수부대), is a special operations force under the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command. It is the ROK Special Forces Brigade tasked with decapitation attacks.
History[edit]
On July 1, 1977, the 13th Special Force Brigade was established in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.[1]
On July 20, 1982, the brigade was relocated to Jeungpyeong County, North Chungcheong Province.[2]
The unit was responsible for security during the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympic Games.
In December 2017, the brigade was restructured and designated as a Special Mission Brigade, earning the nickname "Decapitation Unit (참수부대)."[3]
Confusion with ROKMC Quick Maneuver Force (Spartan 3000)[edit]
On September 4, 2017, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo announced the establishment of the "Decapitation Unit (참수부대)" to be completed by December 2017.[4][5][6]
However, some Western media misunderstood the announcement and reported that a unit called "Spartan 3000" with the same "Decapitation Unit (참수부대)" task would be formed by the end of 2017.[7][8] In reality, "Spartan 3000" is a nickname for the ROK Marine Corps Quick Maneuver Force, which had already been formed in March 2016.[9][10]
The 13th Special Forces Brigade was reorganized as the 13th Special Mission Brigade and assigned with the "Decapitation Unit (참수부대)" task aimed at North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un on December 1, 2017.[11][12][13]
Notable former members[edit]
See also[edit]
- 707th Special Mission Group
- Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command
- Special Forces Brigades of the Republic of Korea
References[edit]
- ^ "특전사 흑표부대 창설 38주년 기념식". Newsis. 30 June 2015.
- ^ "증평 군부대 지역에 어떤 영향 주나". Newsis. 18 September 2012.
- ^ "증평 흑표부대 김정은 참수부대로 개편". Chungbukilbo. 9 May 2017.
- ^ "송영무 "北지도부 참수작전 수행부대 12월1일 창설"". Yonhap News Agency. 4 September 2017.
- ^ "Seoul seeks to develop 'Frankenmissile' targeting North Korea: sources". The Korea Herald. 5 September 2017.
- ^ "South Korea Plans'Decapitation Unit' to Try to Scare North's Leaders". New York Times. 12 September 2017.
- ^ "Spartan 3000: South Korea's elite decapitation unit". The New Zealand Herald. 13 September 2017.
- ^ "There's an interesting reason South Korea is publicly talking about a 'decapitation unit' for Kim Jong Un". Business Insider. 12 September 2017.
- ^ "Marine Corps launches expanded mobile unit for N.K. contingencies". Yonhap News Agency. 20 March 2016.
- ^ "해병대, 연대급 '신속기동부대' 편성…유사시 北 침투 임무". Yonhap News Agency. 20 March 2016.
- ^ "South Korea allocates budget for'Decapitation Unit". The Korea Herald. 6 December 2017.
- ^ "'Decapitation Unit' Will Use Suicide Drones and Grenade Machine Guns to Eliminate Kim Jong Un". Newsweek. 17 December 2017.
- ^ "해상봉쇄 놓고 청와대-국방부 엇박자". Maeil Broadcasting Network. 2 December 2017.
- ^ "[충청브리핑] 가수 이승기 전역한 흑표부대 '김정은 참수부대'". 뉴데일리. December 4, 2017. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.