President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday.
Yonhap President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday stressed the need for Korea to adopt a selective enlistment system to transform the country’s armed forces into a “smart, elite and powerful military” centered on advanced equipment and technology.
The president reaffirmed his long-standing commitment to the revised system, which was one of his election campaign pledges.
The proposed system would let individuals choose between serving as active-duty conscripts for 18-21 months or as technology-intensive noncommissioned officers for four or five years — a longer commitment than rank-and-file conscription, offset by incentives such as higher salaries meant to attract volunteers.
The proposal, which aims to sustain the broader conscription model over the long term by expanding service options, comes as Korea continues to grapple with a dwindling population of military-age men. “Amid the persistently low birthrate, maintaining the current inefficient military structure centered on manpower and infantry is neither feasible nor desirable,” Lee said during a meeting with senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.
