‘UDT/SEAL은 나의 모든 것이다’ 진심과 열정으로 뭉친 UDT/SEAL대원의 진짜 이야기! [군 생활, 어디까지 해봤니?] UDT/SEAL편 | 대한민국 국방부

Interview Summary

An active-duty Navy Special Warfare Group UDT/SEAL member says he joined the Navy in 2013, inspired by the sea and by the image of Navy personnel. UDT/SEAL members carry out missions across sea and air. After completing a basic course, they receive specialist training suited to their unit before joining a team.

Duties and Training

He describes the Special Mission Battalion’s work as including counterterrorism, special operations, inspections and searches, and the protection of key national facilities and personnel. Regular training includes close-quarters combat, underwater infiltration, and ship searches.

He maintains his fitness with early-morning runs and calisthenics, followed by weight training after scheduled sessions. He emphasizes mastering the fundamentals, comparing them to a building’s framework: without them, even strong abilities can fail.

His most memorable training experience was a 120-hour period without water. He recalls that thirst overwhelmed hunger. During training, he drank unpleasant-tasting spring water; after returning, he even drank water from a restroom.

Motivation and Deployments

He says UDT/SEAL is “my everything” and that he wants to give his all and succeed whenever assigned a mission. He also values the colleagues beside him and hopes younger teammates will remember him as a passionate senior who always gave his best.

He has deployed once with the Cheonghae Unit and twice with the Akh Unit. During his first deployment, in the UAE, temperatures exceeded 50°C. He recalls realizing how exhausted he was only when he and his teammates were drenched in sweat on the ride back to base.

Deployment is difficult partly because it keeps him away from his family, especially his mother. He says he leaves calmly, assuring them that he will return safely.

Motto and Legacy

His motto is “불광불급,” which he explains as giving oneself wholly to the work. He sees the UDT path as one built through the sacrifices of those who came before him and hopes to make it easier for future members to follow.

Presenter/contributor: An unnamed active-duty Navy Special Warfare Group UDT/SEAL member interviewed in the video.