21 July 2025
Two Republic of Korea MUH-1 Marineon helicopters departed the ROKS Marado sitting offshore. They roared into Bowen, delivering an amphibious air assault force that cleared an enemy position, as part of Talisman Sabre 2025.
It was mid-morning when their boots hit the ground and the Korean marines moved stealthily across the unfamiliar Australian terrain.
They located enemy positions, launched a section attack across a creek bed and neutralised the threat before taking control of the objective.
Under the cover of darkness, a combined Australian, United States and Korean reconnaissance team crept ashore in small boats to secure the landing zone, confirm enemy targets and check the terrain to ensure the Korean force could land uncontested.
First Lieutenant Dongmyeong Lee, who led the assault with his platoon from the 51st Battalion, said the exercise strengthened his troops’ ability to adapt quickly and fight alongside coalition partners.
“Today’s operation was successful thanks to each platoon leader and squad leader and how each member was able to perform their own duty successfully,” First Lieutenant Lee said.
“The main difference between the Republic of Korea and Australia is the territory. The elevations are different, the grass is different, but my members were able to adjust quickly and operate in optimal conditions.”
He said adapting to the different terrain and working alongside other nations was an exciting and enriching opportunity for his soldiers, which they hope to continue.
'It was all smooth, it went to plan – they were on time and on target.'
“By training together, we are learning how to operate in foreign terrain and [in the future] they can also learn how to operate in South Korea’s mountainous terrain,” First Lieutenant Lee said.
The broader operation also tested the ability of coalition forces to plan, coordinate, and execute complex amphibious missions together.
Major Scott Moon, Officer in Charge of the Land Response Cell in Bowen, said the exercise was about synchronising multinational forces to operate seamlessly in challenging coastal environments.
“The planning was conducted at the formation level, and then the assault was conducted by a platoon-plus sized element on the ground,” Major Moon said.
“For the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, this is the first time, apart from the force integration training, that they’ve actually conducted an assault on the ground in this Area of Operation.
“It was all smooth, it went to plan – they were on time and on target.”
The Bowen assaults formed just one part of a broader coalition mission, setting the stage for the next phase of the operation.
The assault was one of four objective sites in the Bowen area – the forces continued to move on to participate in Joint Forcible Entry Operations in Shoalwater Bay.
