History

The 3rd Infantry Division is a unit of the Republic of Korea Army

Republic of Korea Army

The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...

. First formed as the 3rd brigade on December 1, 1947. On December 24 1949, the division conducted Mungyeong massacre

Mungyeong massacre

The Mungyeong massacre was a massacre conducted by 2nd and 3rdplatoon, 7th company, 3rd battalion, 25th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division of the South Korean Army on 24 December 1949 of 86 to 88 unarmed citizens in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang district of South Korea, all of whom were...

. The unit was upgraded to a division on May 12, 1949.
The Division consists of the 18th, 22nd and 23rd Regiments.

Was under direct control of the Republic of Korea Army

Republic of Korea Army

The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...

 after the first fall of Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

.

Was part of the defensive line to slow the North Korean advance from Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

 to Taejon.

Fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter

Battle of Pusan Perimeter

The Battle of Pusan Perimeter was a large-scale battle between United Nations and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 – September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War...

.

After the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, fierce battles were fought in the harbor village of Pohang

Pohang

Pohang is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River...

 between the 3rd Division and the NKPA’s 5th Division

5th Division (North Korea)

The 5th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th century. It was activated at Nanam, North Korea, during the early part of August 1949, composed of Korean veterans of the Chinese Communist 8th Route Army’s 164th Division, which had been stationed in the...

. The 3rd finally captured the village during the morning of the twentieth. They continued to attack aggressively, forcing a disorderly withdrawal by the NKPA toward Yongdok.
During the course of the war, the 3rd Infantry Division took part in over 150 battles, killing and capturing more than 51,000 enemy soldiers.