Page 239 - 2018 Defense White Paper

provide servicemembers with National Pension credits during their service periods. Currently,

National Pension credits are provided only for six months of each service period.

| Rationalizing Disability Compensation Rates | Currently, disability compensations

for enlisted servicemembers injured during their service are determined only based on the
seriousness of their injuries, which has been a cause for continued demands for additional
compensations for servicemembers injured during their service. To address this issue, the MND

plans to enhance compensations for injuries sustained while performing high-risk tasks by greatly
increasing the amount of compensations in each grade, and classifying the compensations into
“combat injuries,” “injuries during special tasks,” and “general disability” depending on the

cause of the injuries. Once the Whole Revision to the Military Pension Act and the bill for
the Military Disaster Compensation Act are passed by the National Assembly, the range of
disability compensations will expand from between KRW 5.69 and 17.06 million to between
KRW 15.66 and 117.45 million.

| Improving the Quality of Uniforms and Other Gears | The MND continues to improve

the combat gears to maintain their combat mission capabilities and improve their satisfaction
with their lives in the barracks.
After replacing the previous Battle Dress Quality Improvement for Battle
Dress Uniforms / Winter Tops
Uniforms (BDUs) with digital pattern
Chapter 6
uniforms in 2011, the MND distributed
additional summer BDUs in 2013, followed
by the distribution of the BDUs with

improved elasticity, comfort, and anti-
BDU tops BDU pants
infrared camouf lage in 2018. In addition, in
2018, the MND began the distribution of

lighter and warmer winter tops innerwear,
and outerwear.
Starting in 2015, the MND improved
Winter tops outerwear Winter tops innerwear
the quality and standards of the clothes
that servicemembers use and wear most
frequently during their military life. The MND improved the quality of sneakers and gloves, and

Section 2 Improving the Welfare and Working Environment for Servicemembers 237