The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Expresses Opinions on System Improvement
The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced on the 24th that it has expressed an opinion for system improvement, stating that social service agents who are overseas permanent residents and voluntarily enlisted should be provided with travel expenses upon discharge, just like active-duty soldiers who are overseas permanent residents.
Kim Tae-gyu, Vice Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Mr. A's two sons are both U.S. permanent residents. The eldest son voluntarily enlisted through the permanent resident enlistment application, served as an active-duty soldier, and received airfare support upon discharge to return to his family. The second son also applied for enlistment, was classified as Grade 4 supplementary service, and served as a social service agent. The second son thought he would be able to receive travel expenses upon discharge just like his elder brother after fulfilling his military duty, but he was told that social service agents are not eligible for travel expense payments.
According to the Ministry of National Defense’s “Regulations on Payment of Leave and Discharge Travel Expenses for Overseas Permanent Residents and Others Serving in the Military,” citizens or overseas permanent residents who voluntarily enlist as active-duty soldiers and wish to travel to their citizenship or permanent residency country can receive one-way travel expenses up to three times during regular leave and once upon discharge. However, social service agents are managed by a different department and are not covered by these regulations.
Kim Taegyu, Vice Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, emphasized, “Active support from the state is necessary for all overseas permanent residents who have voluntarily and faithfully fulfilled their national defense duties.”
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