Page 302 - 2020 Defence White Paper

2019 especially, six veterans hospitals nationwide under the Korean Veterans Health
Service agreed to collect DNA samples from families to expand the channels for the
public to participate, and the MND signed an MOU with the National Agricultural
Cooperative Federation to establish the foundation to promote remains recovery to
the public through NongHyup Bank and Hanaro Mart branches nationwide.

Enactment of Military Accident In December 2019, Military Accident
Compensation Act and Enhanced Compensation Act was enacted to place
Military Death Benefits more responsibility on the nation for
injuries, diseases, disabilities, and deaths
of military personnel, and to rationalize the level of accident compensation through
means such as raising compensation for disabilities, pensions for bereaved families
of those who have been killed on duty, and compensation for death. Furthermore, the
MND has newly established special provisions in connection with the expiration of
the right to claim for compensation in order to honor those who have been killed on
duty and to protect the rights of bereaved families. Details are as follows:
First, the MND has raised the level of compensation for general disabilities
for servicemembers as well as compensation for war wounds of cadres and

servicemembers, and disabilities caused by injuries arising from special duties. As
of 2019, compensation for general disabilities of servicemembers ranged from KRW
5.77 million to KRW 17.32 million, but has been raised to a minimum of KRW 15.9
million up to KRW 47.7 million. In addition, in the case of war wounds where cadres
and servicemembers have been injured due to engagement with the enemy, the MND
has made a revision to pay 2.5 times the compensation of general disabilities. As for
an injury caused by special duty while performing a dangerous duty such as search
and reconnaissance of contact areas and counterterrorism operations, it is mandatory
to pay 1.88 times the compensation of general disabilities, thus differentiating these
disabilities from general disabilities.
Second, the compensation for death has been made consistent with the Public
Off cials’ Accident Compensation Act. The total amount of compensation for death
in war has been adjusted from 57.7 times to 60 times the average monthly income
for all public officials, and 44.2 times to 45 times the average monthly income for
death caused by special duty. The compensation for general death on duty has also
been adjusted from 23.4 times the monthly income of the corresponding military
personnel to 24 times the average monthly income for all public off cials.
Third, in order to better ensure the livelihood of bereaved families of military
personnel who died on duty, the payment rate of the pension for bereaved families

2020 Defense White Paper