Plan Could Cut Military Service Time

Following President Roh Moo-hyun’s mention of a possible shortening of military service time at the standing committee of The National Unification Advisory Council on December 21, Cheong Wa Dae announced officially on December 22 that shortening the length of military service is being reviewed.

The Ministry of National Defense is also reviewing a plan of shortening the service length of all armed forces by two months by around 2010. It is being said that various types of alternative service such as the German-style social service system are included in the government’s plan.

A high official of the Cheong Wa Dae said, “The related agencies are reviewing the shortening of military service, and the government bill will be made public sometime early next year at the earliest. However, the matter of changing the current draft system into a recruiting system is not being reviewed.”

If the government announces plans for shortening military service before the presidential elections next year, political controversy can be expected. An official of the Ministry of National Defense showed concern, saying, “If the length of military service is shortened next year before the North Korean nuclear problem is resolved, a serious gap in military strength can be caused.”

During the 2002 presidential elections, President Roh pledged to shorten military service by four months, and after being elected, he shortened the service length for the army, navy and air forces by two months.

At the standing committee of the NUAC the previous day, President Roh said, “Rather than have men rot for years in the military, it would be better to let them actively work during this period. This way, they will get married and have children sooner. I’m working on a scheme to achieve this.”

sys1201@donga.com