This incredible special forces battalion is one of South Korea's top lines of defense

South Korea faces one of the biggest security challenges on earth: an opaque, belligerent, and possibly nuclear-armed northern neighbor with the largest artillery force in the world and a standing army of nearly 700,00 soldiers.

One way South Korea has tried to keep pace with North Korea's military capabilities is through building up fearsome corps of special forces, consisting of seven special forces brigades with an eighth special mission battalion. 

That battalion, called the 707th, or the "White Tigers," is the most elite of the special forces within the South Korean Armed Forces.

The group is composed of volunteers from all branches of the military, along with handpicked candidates. Men and women both serve in the White Tigers.

Every member of the 707th is trained to the black belt level in Tae Kwon Do. Members of the battalion also take part in winter training, where troops must perform drills in the snow and freezing rivers. 

All members of the White Tigers are also fully SCUBA and parachute certified. A promotional video from South Korean broadcasting company MBC provides a look at the sort of exercises and training that the 707th routinely go through. 

We've highlighted the most incredible moments of the video in the following GIFs: