Page 116 - 2020 Defence White Paper

4. Strengthening the Spiritual and Mental Force

Education to Form a Firm The ROK Armed Forces system-atically
Perspective Toward the conducts spiritual and mental force edu-
Homeland and National Security cation to help servicemembers form a
sound perspective toward their homeland
and national security, and to cultivate a soldierly mindset and an unwavering resolve
to prevail. While maintaining an unwavering perspective toward national security
in the rapidly changing security environment, the ROK Armed Forces continues
to emphasize the importance of the military’s inherent mission and preparedness,
thereby establishing an omnidirectional military readiness posture. To embed a clear
perspective in servicemembers, they are educated that North Korea is the subject of
exchange and cooperation for the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula
but is still a realistic military threat, and that they must be prepared and capable of
inflicting decisive punishment in case of North Korean provocations.
With a goal of "Spiritual Armament before Combat Skills Proficiency", the
spiritual and mental force education for newly enlisted soldiers focuses on turning
the new enlistees into soldiers armed with unwavering soldierly mindset. They are
educated with a curriculum focused on the military spirit of unwavering resolve to
prevail and the perspective toward the homeland and national security, while training
programs and barracks life as a whole are used as platforms for spiritual and mental
education.
Spiritual and mental force education for servicemembers is carried out in two

different ways—school-based education and unit-level education. In case of school-
based spiritual and mental force education, presentation- and discussion-oriented
education and hands-on instructors’ training have been strengthened to equip the
servicemembers with the necessary capabilities to become instructors. The unit-
level spiritual force education is conducted centered on commanding officers and is
offered in a systematic and repetitive manner on a daily, weekly, and half-year basis.

Acquiring Strong Soldierly Mindset by To maximize the performance of
53) Improving the Teaching and Learning spiritual and mental force education
Education consisting of
lectures integrated with Paradigm and the servicemembers’ learning
online lectures, book
concerts, culture and immersion, the ROK Armed Forces
arts, and soldiers-led
participation programs is drastically improving and promoting the "teaching and learning paradigm". By
such as "I am a master
instructor," wherein switching from the existing lecture and discussion-oriented education to a hands-
servicemembers become
53)
instructors themselves. on, self-directed education , the servicemembers themselves are able to establish

114 2020 Defense White Paper