The South Korean Army has a total of 6 independent mech brigades, which belong to each corps, and the northern key direction regiments are equipped with one, which is introduced to you one by one.
The 1st Mech Brigade, known as the Electric Shock Force, was subordinate to the Fifth Army of the Rok Army defending the west end of the 38th Line, Tiewon and The Bacheon Axis, and was stationed in the area from Baochuan City, Gyeonggi Province to Cheon-gun, Gangwon Province. The 1st Mech Brigade supported the 6th Infantry Division and the 3rd Infantry Division under the Fifth Army during the battle, and the three divisions and the 5th Artillery Brigade of the Korean Ace Artillery Brigade formed the "Defense Iron Triangle" in northern Seoul and guarded the northern gate of Seoul. The ministry does not shout "loyalty" like the average South Korean force, but "electric shock", so it is also called electric shock force.
1st Mech Brigade Logo
The 1st Mech Brigade has a brigade headquarters, 3 tank brigades and 2 mechanized infantry brigades, 8 directly under the headquarters of the brigade, and two tank brigades under the management of two mobilization divisions. The five brigades are the 5th Tank Brigade, also known as the Lion Brigade, equipped with K1E1 main battle tanks; the 15th Tank Brigade, also known as the Bullfighting Brigade, equipped with K1E1 main battle tanks; the 19th Tank Brigade, also known as the White Tiger Brigade, originally belonging to the 26th Mechanized Infantry Division, when the 26th Division was disbanded and merged into the Eighth Division, the 19th Brigade was assigned to the 1st Mech Brigade; the 105th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, also known as the Attack Brigade, equipped with K200A1 infantry fighting vehicles; and the 138th Mechanized Infantry Brigade. Originally belonging to the 26th Division, it belonged to the 1st Mech Brigade after disbandment; the 628th Self-Propelled Artillery Group, equipped with K55 self-propelled howitzers. The eight directly administered units under the headquarters of the brigade are the service team, the engineer team, the air defense team, the chemical defense team, the mech search team, the intelligence communication team, the heavy force and the combat support service team. The 1st Mech Brigade received the former U.S. Army's Caesar Battalion garrison in South Korea, which was well-equipped, and the brigade headquarters and the 5th Tank Brigade, the 15th Tank Brigade, and the 105th Mechanized Infantry Brigade were all stationed in this station, and the 628th Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade was likely to be responsible for the fire support of the 38th Line, so it was stationed in Chewon-gun, Gangwon-do. The 19th Tank Brigade and the 138th Mechanized Infantry Brigade were assigned to the 1st Mech Brigade after the abolition of the 26th Mechanized Infantry Division, and were still stationed in the old garrison of the 26th Mechanized Infantry Division. The chariot brigades of the two local mobilization divisions in charge, one is the 73rd Local Division Chariot Brigade and the other is the 75th Local Division Chariot Brigade, both of which use M48A3 tanks.
South Korean K1E1 main battle tank
The 1st Mech Brigade, which included the Fifth Tank Brigade, the first mechanized unit of the Korean Army, was created on February 21, 1954, and was the first mechanized unit in Korea. The 1st Mech Brigade was formed on 1 April 1968 and was allocated first to the First Army and then to the Fifth Army, which remains to this day. In 1994, its subordinate 25th Tank Brigade was assigned to the 26th Mechanized Infantry Division and renamed the 76th Mechanized Infantry Brigade. Since then, the 105th Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the 628th Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade have been newly formed, and the 19th Tank Brigade and the 138th Mechanized Infantry Brigade were included after the abolition of the 26th Mechanized Infantry Division in 2018, and the 1st Mech Brigade, the largest formation of the Korean Army, was finalized.
The K55 of the 628th Brigade added its own howitzer