Page 254 - 2018 Defense White Paper

for industrial engineering, information processing, and craftsman forklift truck operation. 14)
Through these tests, around 20,000 servicemembers acquire national technical qualif ications.

[ Chart 6-8 ] Distance Learning Course and National Technical Qualification Year-On-Year Report
Category 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

No. of universities with
99 110 122 134 141 145
distance learning courses
No. of distance learning
3,225 3,337 3,506 3,871 3,922 4,145
courses
No. of servicemembers
acquiring national technical 18,291 19,443 20,206 20,653 19,436 19,530
qualifications

| Financial Support for Self-Development | The MND has been expanding the budget
for subsidizing a part of the self-development expenses spent by servicemembers during their

services. The MND also removed the fee for the use of the cyber knowledge information facility 15)
in 2016 and subsidized distance learning course application fees in 2017, and is currently

implementing the Self-Development Expense Subsidization Program. The benef iciaries of this
program can receive a reimbursement of up to KRW 50,000 per year for spending on language
and qualif ication tests and textbooks.

14) The ROK Armed Forces organizes national technical qualification tests once in each half-year for 21 industrial
engineering qualifications and 61 technical qualifications. However, due to their high demand, the tests for
forklift and excavator operators are provided all year round (38 tests in 2018).
15) Before 2016, servicemembers paid for their use of PCs at cyber knowledge information facilities and distance
learning course application fees.

252 Chapter 6 Instilling a High-Morale Military Culture Trusted by the People