Introducing `Double-Examination System` for Military Service Exemption

The Office of Military Manpower Administration (OMMA) announced that it will implement a double-examination system for deciding military service exemption in order to strengthen competence in physical examination and assignment of grades. The double-examination system for military service exemption allows the final decision only after a precision exam at the central physical examination office of Seoul OMMA, even if each district OMMA gives exemption grades (5, 6 grades) during the first draft examination. The new system will begin on the 4th.

Presently, district OMMAs are able to finalize military service exemptions, which might allow suspected military corruption.

An OMMA authority said, "But the ones with certain apparent diseases are excluded from the double-examination in order not to cause inconvenience. Also, the ones with complaints about their physical grades, including the ones excused from service, can be re-examined at the central physical examination office."

The central physical examination office has 15 doctors and clinical pathologists, and 44 kinds of examination equipments including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MIR) equipments, ultrasonic heart censor, and brain wave testers.

Meanwhile, this year’s subject of draft examination totals 367,000 people, including everyone born on 1983 to those born before 1982. Individual draft examination schedules may be confirmed from the OMMA automatic response system (1588-9090, national-wide), or the OMMA internet website (www.mma.go.kr).

Dong-Ki Sung esprit@donga.com