692 Medical Officers Commissioned... Three Years of Mandatory Service

Acting Minister of National Defense:
"Engrave 'We must save lives' in your hearts and do your utmost"

A total of 692 medical officers have been commissioned and will now serve as new medical officers.

The Armed Forces Medical School announced that on the afternoon of April 24, at the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps School in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, the '55th Medical Officer Commissioning Ceremony' was held, presided over by Kim Sunho, Acting Minister of National Defense, resulting in the commissioning of 692 new medical officers. The ceremony was attended by key figures from various sectors, including the president of the Association of Korean Medicine, as well as the families of the new officers.

Yonhap News Agency

In his congratulatory address, Acting Minister Kim stated, "For the next 36 months, I hope you will faithfully fulfill your important duties as 'doctors in uniform,' grounded in a sense of mission and professionalism, to save the lives of your comrades." He added, "Your combat uniforms and white coats are symbols of the mission to protect the lives of soldiers in urgent emergency situations on the boundary between life and death. I hope you will engrave the motto of the Armed Forces Medical School, 'We must save lives,' in your hearts and do your utmost."

The newly commissioned medical officers have completed basic military training such as shooting, drill, and field training to acquire the qualities required of soldiers, and have also received branch-specific education in military medicine, combat casualty care, and medical tactics.

At the ceremony, among the new officers, Captain Lee Hancheol (Army, Medical Corps) received the Minister of National Defense Award, while Captain Joo Seongjun (Army, Medical Corps), Captain Nam Gyuhyo (Army, Medical Corps), and four others received the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Award and the Chiefs of Staff Awards of each military branch. Captain Lee Hancheol, who received the Minister of National Defense Award, said, "I will always keep in mind my responsibility as a soldier and my calling as a doctor, and I will dedicate myself to the nation and the people under any circumstances."

Among the new medical officers, several individuals with diverse life experiences and backgrounds drew attention. For example, Second Lieutenant Choi Bokyu (Army) is the great-grandson of Kim Silgwang, an independence activist who was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, and his maternal grandfather is also a national merit recipient who participated in the Korean War.

Captain Lee Taehyung (Army) continues a family tradition: his grandfather, a neurosurgeon, and his father, a pulmonologist, were both commissioned as medical officers in 1972 and 1997, respectively, and served as military doctors. Captain Lee Taehyung has now become the third generation in his family to serve as a military doctor.

Meanwhile, the 692 members of the 55th class of medical officers commissioned on this day will be assigned to various locations in both the front and rear areas, where they will be responsible for military healthcare.