[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Even Reserve Sergeant Majors Are Promoted to Corporal

From May This Year, Reserve Soldiers Also Promoted to Reserve Sergeant
Various Benefits Encouraged, Including One Annual Exemption from Mobilization Training

From this year, reserve soldiers will also be appointed as reserve non-commissioned officers (NCOs). This is due to the serious shortage of reserve NCOs needed during wartime caused by the decrease in military manpower resources.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 23rd, a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Military Service Act has been announced for legislative notice, allowing reserve soldiers to be appointed as reserve NCOs if they wish. The amended Military Service Act will take effect from May.

To apply as a reserve NCO, reserve soldiers must have served at least 18 months on active duty. This reflects the reduction of active duty service period to 18 months in the Army since 2018. The military aims to increase the number of reserve sergeants because manpower is severely insufficient. Although the wartime mobilization designated personnel for NCOs exceed 70,000, the actual number of reserve sergeants is less than 30,000, so about 50,000 must be filled by reserve corporals.

Currently, reserve officers must pass a first document screening, second physical examination, and third promotion training and written test to be promoted. It is expected that reserve soldiers applying to become reserve NCOs will have to go through a similar appointment process. The Ministry of National Defense plans to finalize the appointment method by next month. Upon becoming a reserve NCO, appointees will receive a commission certificate and rank insignia, and will be exempted from one mobilization training session. The Ministry is considering various measures to increase the application rate.

Meanwhile, due to manpower shortages, the limit on the number of reappointments for female reserve squad leaders will be removed. Special warfare reserve regional commanders and company commanders will also be allowed to serve consecutive terms. Female reserve squads will be organized by city, county, or district or under workplace reserve units; special warfare reserve companies will be organized by city, county, or district; and special warfare reserve regional units will be organized by metropolitan cities, special autonomous provinces, provinces, and special autonomous regions.

Established in 2011, the special warfare reserve units were formed with personnel from the Special Warfare Command to counter the irregular warfare of North Korea’s special operations forces, which number up to 200,000. The Ministry of National Defense has added a physical condition requirement of “National Fitness Certification Level 3 or higher” to the eligibility criteria for applying to the special warfare reserve through a revision of the directive. The existing condition of “Body Mass Index (BMI) below 30” remains, and applicants meeting either condition can be selected.