Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Starting in October, the mandatory military service period will be gradually shortened. The period of military service for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps will be reduced by three months, while the service length for Air Force soldiers will be reduced by two months.

On September 4th, the government made a decision on a 'proposal to shorten the mandatory military service period' at a morning cabinet meeting that was held at the Seoul Government Complex under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon.

The plan applies first to those who are discharged this October based on a reduction of one day per two weeks. The service period will be reduced from ▲21 months to 18 months for Army, Marine Corps and conscripted policemen; ▲23 months to 20 months for Navy, conscripted coast guard and conscripted fire fighters; ▲24 months to 22 months for the Air Force and ▲24 months to 21 months for social service agents.

In the case of the Army, the plan will be applied first to those who entered the Army on January 3rd2017. They are originally scheduled to be discharged on October 2, but will be discharged one day earlier (October 1). The details of reduced days and the day of discharge from the service depending on the day of entry into the service are posted on the Military Manpower Administration's website (www.mma.go.kr).

At the cabinet meeting that day, the government also decided on proposals to establish the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Investigating the Truth of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Investigating the Truth of Deaths in the Military.

The Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Investigating the Truth of the May 18 Democratic Uprising specifies the organization, members, roles, investigation procedures and methods for the May 18 Truth Commission that will be launched in September.

The Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Investigating the Truth of Deaths in the Military provides the organization, members, and tasks of the Truth Commission in order to investigate deaths in the military since November 1948.

By Joo-Hyeong, Lee < jataka@dema.mil.kr >

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