Page 147 - 2018 Defense White Paper

important share of the country’s defense capacity in wartime while protecting security and

responding to natural disasters in their respective regions during peacetime. Organized in
accordance with the Reserve Forces Act and the Military Personnel Management Act, the
reserve forces are mobilized to augment active-duty units during wartime or carry out local and

workplace defense missions during wartime or peacetime.
The number of reservists stood at around 2.75 million as of December 2018, and there are
about 6,000 volunteer reservists, 23) including female reservists and special operations reservists,

nationwide.
Reservists are organized into local reserve units at the administrative district or workplace
level, and are separately managed depending on the number of years served and the type of

wartime missions to which they are assigned. Reservists are managed locally as the defense
minister’s responsibility for their management has been delegated to military units assigned to
respective districts.
The MND will continue to enhance the reservist system, creating conditions in which the Chapter 4

reserve forces, an important pillar of the national defense capacity, can project their maximum
combat power.

| Enhancing the Reserve Force Training System | The MND plans to merge and upgrade
208 training sites spread across the country into 40 scientif ic reserve force training centers by
2024 to bolster mission capabilities through realistic training as well as enhance the eff iciency

in training site management and budget operation. Scientif ic reserve force training centers are
installed with virtual simulation shooting ranges where reservists can practice zeroing f ire, record
f ir ing, and squad-level combat shooting. The centers also operate equipment for squad-level

battle drills, including urban combat drills, which utilize battle training equipment. 24) The MND
will also improve reservist satisfaction with training and enhance reservist mission capabilities

23) A group of reservists selected from 18-year-old or older ROK nationals who have joined the reserve forces
pursuant to Article 3 of the Reserve Forces Act
24) A complete set of two-way battlefield training equipment consisting of laser guns, sensors, training control and
analysis systems, and electronic display boards

Section 5 Systematic Development of Fundamental Warfighting Capabilities 145