Top commanders from South Korean and American special operations participated in a “friendship” parachute jump this week to mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance. The event included infiltration training with South Korean and US forces conducting static line and high-altitude low opening (HALO) jumps. 

Key Points:

1. South Korea’s Special Warfare Command Commander Lieut. Gen. Son Sik and US Special Operations Command-Korea (SOCKOR) Commander Major Gen. Michael E. Martin staged a high-altitude low opening (HALO) freefall as part of a “friendship” event.
2. This event was conducted to mark the 70th anniversary of the South Korean and American alliance and to demonstrate their readiness as a combined force to defend their homelands.
3. The “friendship” event also included core infiltration training with both South Korean and US special operations forces executing static line jumps and HALO jumps.
4. Major Gen. Michael E. Martin will be leaving his position at SOCKOR next week to serve as the J3 director of operations at the US Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Brig. Gen. Derek N. Lipson is set to replace him.
5. The event also included a “friendship” dive by Martin and South Korea’s Naval Special Warfare-Flotilla Command chief Rear Adm. Park Hu-byeong in Changwon, southeast of Seoul.

Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230608000753