In early 1966 additional Korean troops were again formally requested by the Republic of Vietnam. Negotiations between the U.S. and Korean governments on this request were conducted between January and March 1966. The Korean National Assembly approved the dispatch of new troops on 30 March 1966, and the Commander in Chief, United Nations Command, concurred in the release of the 9th Infantry Division—the White Horse Division. This unit, which began to deploy in April 1966, brought the strength of the Korean forces in Vietnam to 44,897.
The 9th Korean Division arrived in Vietnam during the period 5 September—8 October 1966 and was positioned in the Ninh Hoa area at the junction of Highways 1 and 21. Division headquarters was situated in good open terrain, permitting deployment of the units to best advantage.
Of the Korean 9th Division the 28th Regiment was stationed in the Tuy Hoa area, the 29th Regiment in and around Ninh Hoa, adjacent to division headquarters, and the 30th Regiment on the mainland side to protect Cam Ranh Bay. With these three areas under control, the 9th Division could control Highway 1 and the population along that main road all the way from Tuy Hoa down to Phan Rang, from Tuy Hoa north to Qui Nhon, and as far north of that city as the foothills of the mountains in southern Binh Dinh Province (Map 7) A Korean Marine battalion and additional support forces arrived in Vietnam in 1967. In all, the Republic of Korea deployed 47,872 military personnel to Vietnam in four major increments.
| Time | Organizations | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| 1964-1965 | Medical and engineer groups (Dove) | 2,128 |
| 1965 | Capital Division (RCT) with support forces and Marine brigade | 18,004 |
| 1966 | 9th Division with RCT and support forces | 23,665 |
| 1967 | Marine battalion (-) and other support forces | 2,963 |
| 1969 | C-46 crews, authorized increase | 12 |
Logistically, the United States had agreed to support fully the Korean operations in South Vietnam; there never was any doubt that the Koreans would get all the requisite support—the transportation, artillery support, extra engineer support, hospital supplies, food, aviation support, communications support—from the U.S. bases in Vietnam.
Operational Control of Korean Troops
When the Korean Army arrived in South Vietnam, Major General Chae Myung Shin assured General Westmoreland that
