Korea's Military Service Policy Issues and Directions for Mid- and Long-term Development

Abstract

Military conscription is a mechanism designed to develop troops and their capabilities, which are the foundation for creating military strength, and it is inextricably related to military manpower structure, military management system, and military structure. Accordingly, we cannot ignore the implications of military service policies for successful military reform and the transformation of military strength. Since 2006, Korea has been pursuing national defense reforms with a view to shifting from a troop-focused quantitative military structure to a technology-intensive military structure and has thus been carrying out a series of military service reform plans. However, a rapid shift in policy direction and reasonable modifications and adjustments of the implementation plan are constantly needed since the geo-strategic and economic environment surrounding Korea, its demographic and social environment, military technology development, and global trends in transforming the military service system, continue to raise new issues related to Korean military service policy. Modifications of the current military service system that would allow for the increasing social demand for a change to all-voluntary service, a review of a differentiated military service system designed to meet the need for the adjustment of the term of military service for conscripts, the proposal of a reasonable policy in response to the demands for mandatory military service for women, and the creation of a plan to incorporate religiously motivated conscientious objectors into the community service system will be an important part of the military service policy agenda that national defense policymakers should keep in mind.