Page 96 - 2018 Defense White Paper

utilization” system. The acquisition of superior workforce and the utilization of experienced

workforce will help boost the military off icers’ morale and contribute to the enhancement of
their combat power.
Additional efforts to acquire outstanding workforce include the short-term service grant to

better compensate off icers and NCOs intending to serve a short term. The MND also seeks
to increase the number of recipients of the grant for additional military service. 34) The grant is
given in the form of tuitions to outstanding university and vocational college students hoping

to serve for a medium term so that they have the opportunity to receive higher education in
connection with military service as an off icer. With these measures, the ROK Armed Forces
is preparing for the situation where the conditions of workforce acquisition are increasingly

tough and, therefore, expect to gain stable access to outstanding medium- and long-term service
officers.
For the utilization of outstanding female workforce in the military, the hiring of female
servicemembers has been expanding. The MND plans to raise the level of female servicemembers

in the military from 5.5% in 2016 to 8.8% in 2022, and the level of female second lieutenants
and staff sergeants in the junior officer recruitment from 6.5% in 2016 to 13.3% in 2022. As

the number of women in uniform increases, substitute workforce for parental leave will be
secured, and the personnel management and working conditions of female servicemembers will
be improved so that they can fully perform their capabilities and the military can better utilize
them.

| Fostering Creative Military Specialists | The MND is f lexibly fostering a creative military
specialist capable of responding to drastic changes in future battlef ield environments, such as

changes brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and leading innovations in the defense
field. The development of military specialists is systematically managed in two separate
programs—specialized degree education and overseas military education.

Specialized degree education is aimed at fostering military professors, researchers, and experts
in special technology f ields. Outstanding domestic and international educational institutions

34) A grant given to university and technical college students under the condition that they serve an additional
period, in addition to their mandatory service period, when appointed as officers or NCOs. The amount of the
grant is similar to college and university tuitions.

94 Chapter 3 Establishing a Robust Defense Posture against Omnidirectional Security Threats