Evening star., 1952-10-12
Allied Officers Hail
South Korean Victory
In Biggest Test Yet
By the Associated Press

met the biggest test YET laced Dy
the completely retrained South
Korean army, and Allied officers
consider they have come through
with flying colors.
United States officers. closely
watching the Western front
battle, say the ROK soldier is as
good as any in Korea.
However, these officers do not
believe the time has yet come
when the ROKs alone can handle
the entire 155 mile battle line.
Two years ago and less, the
collapse of South Korean divisions
during Red offensives imperilled
Allied divisions on their flanks.
U. S. Units Had to Pull Back.
The ROKs broke and ran, fore
ing American units to pull back or
be encircled.
Now after an intensive training
program designed by Gen. James
A. Van Fleet. United States 9Th
Army commander, 10 ROK divi-
sions are holding down at least
half the battle line.
At White Horse Mountain,
guarding the Chorwon Valley gate
way to Seoul. the ROK 9Th Divi-
sion has made a stand as valiant
as eny ever made in the long
Korean war, advisers say.
They have exhibited soldierly
qualities of the highest degree, :"
an American professional officer
said. "They have qualities of ten
acity and patience. Most of all
they have patriotism"
Pretty Much Alike.
The 9th ROK Division at White
Horse is a good division" an
other United States officer said. |
"But all the ROK divisions are. !,
They measure up pretty much
the same"
Up to division level the organ
ization and leadership of ROK
units is regarded as good.
The weakness Of the ROK army,
American officers say, is in logis-
tics. support and planning above
division level.
They show indications they will
ultimately be able to take care
of themselves" a responsible 9th
Army officer said. But the proc
ess of giving them the battle line
to defend must be phase over a
period of years. It may take one
year, or it may take five. They
are not capable of defending
themselves yet"
Would Need Headquarters.
If the Korean war stretches out
Indefinitely, the ROKs would have
to double the size of their army,
establish army and corps head
quarters. be trained in the use
of heavy weapons and set up their
own supply lines.
The transformation of the ROK
army into its present high moral.
one officer said. is one Of the great (
military feats of the Korean War.
Primarily responsible for the
change is Gen. Van Fleet. the man ]
who had previously modernized {
the Greek army and advised it in {
ridding that country Of Commu- {
mist guerrillas. il
Gen. Van Fleet placed trust in
the ROK and gave them con- |
fldence in themselves.
A South Korean general re- ,
marked recently: 1.-TWO years ago !
when we were running away, we $
had no trust in ourselves, and the
U. N. troops had no trust in us.
Now they know they are as safe
with US on their flank as with
another U. N. division there"
Basic Training Given.
Gen. Van Fleet started a three
point training program in July of
last year. First, he instituted a
replacement training system.
Every fresh draftee in the South
Korean army was put through a
training program similar to
United States Army basic train
ing.
Second, he sent officers to spe-
cial schools where they learned
leadership.
Third, he took each ROK divi-
sion out of the line, brought it up
to strength, and gave it eight
weeks of training as a unit.
All South Korean divisions have
completed the training and re-
habilitation course.
Retrained Last Year.
The 9th ROK Division, which
has been fighting tooth and nail
for White Horse, underwent an
eight-week period of rehabilita-
tion and retraining in August and
September, 1851. It went on the
line in its present position in the
Chorwon area in October and has !,
stayed in the same place during
the past year, always fighting
creditably.
Maj. Gen. Kim Chong Cho, COM
mander of the 9th, was a second
lieutenant in the World War II
Japanese army. In January. 1916, |,
he was commissioned a second
lieutenant in the Republic of
Korea constabulary. He rose
quickly and was a colonel when
the Korean war broke out. AS a !
major general, his salary is $4,000
won a month-10 dollars at the
official rate of exchange-plus
food and quarters.