Disciplinary Records Deleted Upon Discharge Even If Soldier Disciplined During Mandatory Service

Retroactive Application for Discharged Soldiers

From now on, even if a soldier receives disciplinary action during mandatory service, the disciplinary record will be erased upon discharge.

According to the military on the 8th, the Ministry of National Defense recently announced an administrative notice for the "Amendment to the Personnel Management Regulations for Soldiers" containing this provision. The administrative notice period lasts until the 21st of this month.

Ministry of National Defense, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Under current regulations, if a soldier receives disciplinary action during service, the record remains in their military personnel file. While there are provisions for officers where disciplinary records are automatically erased after a certain period, no such regulations exist for enlisted soldiers, so their disciplinary records have been maintained.

Accordingly, the Ministry of National Defense has newly established a clause in the amendment that erases disciplinary and other punishment records within the military on the day a soldier completes mandatory service and is discharged. Once the amendment is implemented, the fact that a soldier received disciplinary action during mandatory service will no longer be indicated on military-related certificates such as personnel records after discharge. This will also be applied retroactively to soldiers who have already been discharged.

However, the amendment includes a proviso that, if necessary for verifying qualifications for public servant appointments and other purposes, the erased punishment records can still be referenced through the personnel or legal affairs departments.

The Ministry of National Defense stated that this is "a measure to restore the honor of those who have completed mandatory service."