There's important nuance here. It's under US command within Korea in the event of a north Korean invasion to ensure a unified command structure. Last I heard when I lived there (10+ years ago), they were actively transitioning to Korean command in the event of war with North Korea, although I'm not sure if that was ever completed.

They're not a vassal military or state.

What exactly are they doing in West Papua? The claim was that they were occupying West Papua.

South Korea just refused to help the US in Iran! https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/world/asia/south-korea-pr...