"Mid-sized Company Level" Military Junior Officer Salaries to Rise Up to 50 Million Won

The salaries of junior military officers will increase to a maximum of 50 million KRW, reaching the level of mid-sized companies.

According to the "2023?2027 Basic Welfare Plan for Military Personnel" announced by the Ministry of National Defense on the 10th, the annual salaries of sergeants and second lieutenants in regular units will increase by 14?15% compared to this year by 2027, while those of sergeants and second lieutenants in frontline guard units will rise by 28?30% during the same period.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The total income (base pay + allowances + duty pay) annual salary of a sergeant in a regular unit (based on grade 1) will increase by 14%, from 32.96 million KRW this year to 37.61 million KRW in 2027, and the annual salary of a second lieutenant in a regular unit will rise by 15%, from 33.93 million KRW to 39.10 million KRW.

The increase rate for frontline observation posts (GP), general outposts (GOP), maritime and riverine units, naval vessels, and air defense units is twice that of regular units. Personnel serving in guard units account for about 20% of all junior officers.

The annual salary of a sergeant serving in a guard unit will increase by 28%, from 38.17 million KRW this year to 49.04 million KRW in 2027, and the annual salary of a second lieutenant in a guard unit will rise by 30%, from 38.56 million KRW to 49.90 million KRW during the same period.

Incentive bonuses paid temporarily to short-term service officers and non-commissioned officers will be doubled starting next year.

The incentive bonus for short-term service officers will increase from 6 million KRW last year to 12 million KRW next year, and for short-term service non-commissioned officers, it will rise from 5 million KRW last year to 10 million KRW next year.

Additionally, the Ministry of National Defense plans to raise the salaries of officers with specialized qualifications such as pilots, cyber warfare experts, and military doctors to the level of other public institutions to prevent their external leakage.

The Ministry of National Defense is actively improving the treatment of junior officers because the reduction in soldiers’ service periods and the increase in their pay have made it difficult to secure junior officers who serve longer than soldiers but earn less than new employees at mid-sized companies. The Ministry explained, "Junior officers will be paid salaries comparable to those of mid-sized companies to provide fair compensation for their duties as professional soldiers and to prevent the outflow of the military’s core forces, thereby maintaining combat readiness."