Ex–ROK Navy SEAL Ken Rhee Breaks Down the Reality of War with North Korea | Ep. 265

About this video

Ritland interviews Ken Reed, a former lieutenant in the Republic of Korea SEAL teams who also completed US Navy BUDS training. Reed, who grew up in the United States but returned to Korea for military service, compares the two SEAL pipelines, describes Korea’s special operations structure, and discusses the ongoing tensions with North Korea. He recounts his deployments off Somalia, work with submarine delivery vehicles, and insights into North Korean defection and military dynamics.

Key takeaways

• Reed describes Korean BUDS as mentally tougher than US BUDS due to physical discipline from instructors and confinement to base, though US BUDS is physically harder due to soft sand training
• The Republic of Korea SEAL teams number approximately 300 operators and mirror US special operations structure, with a tier-one unit (SMB) of about 60 shooters established with help from DEVGRU
• Reed explains that South Korea maintains constant readiness for conflict with North Korea, with ongoing skirmishes and near-war incidents, though most Koreans oppose war due to North Korea’s artillery threat to Seoul

Episode details: published November 11, 2025 · 81.2K views · 2:13:48 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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