Special Promotion Eligibility Expanded to Colonels
Amendment Includes Officers Who Refused Unjust Orders During Martial Law
Scope Broadened for Exceptional Contributions and Peacetime Achievements
During the 12·3 Martial Law, colonels who refused to comply with unjust orders from their superiors will now be eligible for special promotion to general officer ranks.
According to the military on July 29, the Ministry of National Defense re-announced a proposed amendment to the Military Personnel Act Enforcement Decree on July 18, which expands the scope of special promotion eligibility to include colonels.
Previously, the Enforcement Decree stipulated that special promotion was only available to "those who made a distinguished contribution to the nation during combat, wartime, incidents, or other comparable national emergencies."
The new amendment further expands the criteria to include: ▲ those who set an exemplary standard for the entire military by making significant contributions during current operations, such as engaging the enemy in battle or carrying out operations like the defection freedom operation; ▲ those who risked their lives to rescue people or protect property in the event of natural disasters or accidents and whose achievements are particularly outstanding; and ▲ others who have demonstrated exceptional job performance and made significant contributions to the military.
Additionally, the scope of those eligible for special promotion has been expanded to include officers at or below the rank of colonel, officer candidates, non-commissioned officers, non-commissioned officer candidates, and enlisted personnel. The previous amendment, announced on July 2, limited special promotion for peacetime achievements to officers at or below the rank of lieutenant colonel. However, the current amendment expands this to include colonels.
Previously, President Lee Jaemyung instructed Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyubaek to "pursue special promotions for officers who were passive in carrying out illegal and unjust orders during the 12·3 Martial Law." In relation to this, Lee Kyungho, Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, explained, "The amendment is considering expanding the scope from lieutenant colonel to colonel," and added, "We determined that colonels should be included, given the actual ranks of field commanders."
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