GOP Officers with 'Over 150 Hours Overtime' to Receive Annual Salary Increase of About 7.1 Million Won

Overtime Allowance Expanded from 57 to 100 Hours per Month
Total Monthly Compensation of 45.72 Million Won Starting February

From this year, the overtime (OT) pay limit for officers and non-commissioned officers serving in border units will be increased.

▲A sergeant who finished guard duty at the GOP (General Outpost) on the eastern front line opened fire on fellow soldiers, resulting in a tragedy where five people died.

On the 25th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the overtime (OT) pay limit for officers below the rank of captain and non-commissioned officers will be expanded from 4 hours per day and 57 hours per month to 8 hours per day and 100 hours per month. Based on a second lieutenant serving in an Army General Outpost (GOP) unit, the total annual compensation (base salary + allowances + duty pay) will increase by 7.16 million KRW (19%) from 38.56 million KRW last year to 45.72 million KRW this year. A sergeant's pay will rise by 7.18 million KRW (20%) from 38.17 million KRW last year to 45.35 million KRW this year.

The revised system's pay will be reflected in the January overtime work records and paid from February. Although military personnel often work overtime due to emergency standby, they have been subject to the same 57-hour monthly limit on allowances as regular public officials under the "Regulations on Public Officials' Allowances," leading to ongoing criticism that they do not receive proper compensation. Especially in border units, where personnel maintain a 24-hour readiness posture without commuting, it has been identified that more than 150 hours of overtime occur on average per month.

The expanded overtime pay limit applies to about 20,000 personnel, including those working at Army Guard Posts (GP) or GOPs, Navy personnel on ships responsible for maritime operations such as submarines and patrol vessels, Air Force pilots on emergency standby ready to deploy immediately upon situation occurrence, and Marine Corps coastal defense units guarding northwestern islands such as Baengnyeongdo and Yeonpyeongdo. The pay increase applies to officers below the rank of captain and non-commissioned officers, and the Ministry of National Defense explained that 76% (about 15,000) of the 20,000 eligible personnel are junior officers with less than five years of service.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, "The expansion of recognized overtime pay hours will realistically compensate border unit soldiers who silently perform their duties in harsh environments such as frontline contact areas, ships, and remote islands and mountainous regions," adding, "Through improving the treatment of soldiers who steadfastly protect our territory, territorial waters, and airspace, we will become a military that repays the people with ironclad security."