Jo Kyung-tae "Earning credits in the military? Soldiers should act like soldiers, not like the Tang Dynasty army"

Kwon In-sook "Can't you study in the evening?"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] "Soldiers should act like soldiers. (omitted) If all 600,000 soldiers in the military use this kind of excuse, then the military will become like the Tang Dynasty army."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the minutes released by the National Assembly on the 30th, on the 24th, during the bill subcommittee meeting of the National Assembly's Education Committee, Jo Kyung-tae, a member of the People Power Party, made this remark while reviewing the "Partial Amendment to the Act on the Establishment of the Korea Student Aid Foundation," proposed by Kim Cheol-min of the Democratic Party of Korea. Jo mentioned the "Tang Dynasty army" as a critique of the increasing normalization of earning academic credits through military e-learning classes.

He raised the issue by saying, "If some people receive academic credits in the military and it becomes equivalent to university course completion, what if all students who take a leave of absence from university and enter the military raise objections and demand that all their credits be recognized during their two years of service? What would you do then?" Jo argued, "The Ministry of National Defense should be responsible for the military's education and training facilities, teaching young people and honing their skills. Treating these facilities like universities and operating them as educational institutions could undermine their original mission and military discipline."

The bill proposed by Kim, discussed that day, includes expanding the scope of financial aid recipients to lifelong education facilities, vocational training institutions, and military education and training facilities designated by presidential decree under the "Act on the Recognition of Academic Credits."

Jo's argument contradicts the demand to expand military e-learning classes that allow soldiers to earn academic credits during their service. Currently, the military collaborates with universities to enable soldiers to take up to 12 credits per year during their service, with tuition support of up to 50%.

Jo's remarks eventually led to a heated exchange with Democratic Party member Kwon In-sook during the bill review process that day.

Kwon stated, "I think it is very problematic to think that just because someone is in the military, all their time must be devoted 24 hours a day solely to serving the country as a soldier." She pointed out, "The willingness of soldiers to learn what they want by earning credits during weekends, evenings, and other times in their military life has long been confirmed." She criticized, "It is problematic to talk about the lives of students taking online classes and earning credits in the military so superficially, or rather, to talk about the lives of soldiers in such a one-dimensional way."