[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Why Is the Highest Competition Rate for Army Officers Dropping?

On the 27th, at the '75th Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony' held at the Korea Military Academy in Nowon-gu, Seoul, a graduate is smiling brightly. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The competition rate for cadet recruitment at the military academies for the 2021 academic year, which will admit students next year, has been revealed to be the lowest in the past five years. This is because the number of fake applicants who took the exam as a preliminary test ahead of the College Scholastic Ability Test, rather than for the purpose of entering the military academies, was significantly reduced.

According to each branch of the military on the 22nd, the competition rates for cadet recruitment for next year's military academy admissions were recorded as 26.2 to 1 for the Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon, 25.1 to 1 for the Korea Air Force Academy, and 22 to 1 for the Korea Naval Academy. Considering that the Korea Army Academy had a competition rate of 31 to 1 in 2017 and recorded 44 to 1 last year, and the Korea Air Force Academy also increased from 39 to 1 in 2017 to 41.3 to 1 last year, the competition rate has dropped to about half.

The military views the previous surge in competition rates at the military academies as largely a result of 'phantom applications' by examinees. Most applicants who passed the first exam did not attend the second exam (interview). In the case of the Korea Naval Academy, the attendance rate for the second exam among those who passed the first exam was 65.6% in the 2016 academic year, but only 62.3% in 2017, 54.8% in 2018, and 45.1% in 2019. Side effects also emerged. Genuine applicants who missed out by 1-2 points appeared due to phantom applicants, and additional (waiting list) successful candidates were also relatively disadvantaged.

Last year, the Korea Naval Academy implemented drastic measures. From the first exam, applicants were required to submit a self-introduction letter (statement of purpose), and the application fee was raised from 5,000 won to 25,000 won. The effect appeared as a decline in competition rates. The competition rate for naval cadet admissions who took the exam in 2018 was 38.5 to 1, but it dropped to 25.1 to 1 last year and further decreased to 22 to 1 this year.

Some critics argue that the military branches knew about the large number of fake applicants but focused only on promotion. The Korea Army Academy praised itself in a press release last year, stating, "For three consecutive years, the number of applicants exceeded 10,000, and the competition rate for female cadets reached an all-time high of 111.2 to 1, the highest since the academy's founding." The Korea Air Force Academy also announced that more than 10,000 applicants applied last year, marking the highest number of applicants since its establishment in 1949.

A military official said, "It is true that many applications were submitted not to become cadets but for skill assessment or promotional purposes by some academies and schools," adding, "From this year, we will enhance discrimination to prevent genuine applicants from being disadvantaged."