Whangaparāoa soldier returns to his roots in Korean deployment

The Whangapāraoa local, who was born in Korea and moved to New Zealand in 2003, describes his return to the country of his birth in uniform as both professionally rewarding and personally meaningful. 

He serves with 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, and is currently deployed to South Korea as a Section Commander with the New Zealand Army Platoon. He is working alongside Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States forces in some of the largest military exercises of his career.

“Coming back to Korea, it always feels like coming back to my second home,” he said.

“I still have family here, so whenever I get the chance, I get to see them. At the same time, it’s been really special showing my platoon teammates the culture and what Korea has to offer.”

Over recent months, Corporal Kim and the Kiwi contingent have trained with the ROK Army, ROK Marine Corps and United States forces in urban combat, amphibious operations and large-scale brigade-level exercises which are rarely experienced at home.  

One of the highlights has been training at the Korean Combat Training Center, where New Zealand soldiers worked alongside allied forces in a demanding, realistic combat environment. 

“Being able to work with different units on such a big scale was something else,” he said.

During urban warfare training, Corporal Kim’s platoon moved building-to-building in controlled but chaotic scenarios designed to replicate modern conflict.

“There’s a lot of noise, a lot of chaos but it’s important to train in those environments. Through controlled chaos we train as we fight and come out as better warfighters.”

Alongside his role as a Section Commander, Corporal Kim has also taken on responsibility for interpreting and liaison between Korean and New Zealand forces, helping bridge language and cultural barriers.

“I’ve been working to make sure both Koreans and New Zealanders are getting messages across correctly without errors in interpretation,” he said. 

“It’s been really important for us to overcome the language barrier.” 

Balancing leadership responsibilities while translating during fast-moving exercises has added pressure, but it is one that Corporal Kim has embraced. 

“It got a little busier at times juggling both roles,” he said. “But we managed to truck through it.” 

When at KingsWay School in Silverdale, Corporal Kim originally dreamed of becoming a pilot but his Air Force plans changed to enlisting in the NZ Army, where he has been for close to a decade. 

The military continued to challenge him in valuable ways, he said.

“Sometimes I doubt myself, especially with English being my second language, but when you push through and get the job done, that sense of achievement is something else.”

For the proud Korean Kiwi, representing New Zealand in Korea, while leading soldiers in a demanding operational environment, has become one of the defining moments of his career.

“This has definitely become one of the highlights,” he said.

“Coming back to the country of my birth and doing the job I love.  Showing that Kiwis can operate at a high level, has been pretty special.”