Which South Korean division was nicknamed the Tiger Division in Vietnam?

The South Korean division nicknamed the Tiger Division in Vietnam was the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division.

Known in Korean as Maeng-Ho, meaning “Fierce Tiger,” the division was one of three Republic of Korea formations sent to South Vietnam. It arrived in September 1965 and operated mainly around Qui Nhon in Bình Định Province, protecting sections of Routes 1 and 19 and conducting operations in the surrounding countryside.

The division had a distinguished record from the Korean War, which helped make it a prestigious choice for overseas service. In Vietnam it developed a reputation for carefully planned cordon-and-search operations: troops sealed off a small area, searched it methodically and used reaction forces to prevent enemy escape. Its deployment lasted until South Korean forces withdrew from Vietnam in 1973.

The main naming trap is that the 9th Infantry Division was called the White Horse Division, while the 2nd Marine Brigade was known as the Blue Dragon Brigade. “Tiger Division” refers to the Capital Division, whose formal modern name is Capital Mechanized Infantry Division.