Page 393 - 2018 Defense White Paper

Appendix 22
Changes in Period of Mandatory

Military Service

Period of Service (months)
Year Reasons for Adjustment
Army and
Navy Air Force
Marine Corps
In or before Normal implementation of the Military Service Act wasimpossible
No discharge system
1952 due to the Korean War
1953 36 36 36 Discharged long-term servicemembers after the Korean War

1959 33 36 36 Lessening of the conscripts’ burden for military service

1962 30 36 36 Lessening of the conscripts’ burden for military service

1968 36 39 39 Period of service extended due to the January 21 Incident

Settlement of surplus resources and industrial technical experts
1977 33 39 39
support
Mitigation of difficulties with securing enlisted servicemembers for
1979 33 35 35
Navy and Air Force
1984 30 35 35 Lessening of the conscripts’ burden for military service
Mitigation of difficulties with securing enlisted servicemembers for
1990 30 32 35
Navy
Settlement of surplus resources due to the abolishment
1993 26 30 30
of secondary reserve system
Mitigation of difficulties with securing enlisted servicemembers for
1994 26 28 30
Navy
2003 24 26 28 Lessening of the burden of military service
Mitigation of difficulties with securing enlisted servicemembers for
2004 24 26 27
Air Force
Reduced service period by six months to lessen the burden of
2008 24 ª18 26 ª 20 27 ª 21
military service (step-by-step drive up to 2014)
Adjusted the previous reduction of six-months to three-months due
2011 21 23 24 to the attack on the ROK Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong
Island
Transformation of the troop-centered military forces to the elite
2018 21 ª18 23 ª 20 24 ª 22 military forces powered by science and technology and lessening
of the burden of military service (National Defense Reform 2.0)

Appendix 391