Page 157 - 2020 Defence White Paper

3. HR Management Centered on Military Expertise

Fostering Balanced Talents by Forming an organization with per-
Gender, Origin, Branch, and Specialty sonnel of diverse characteristics
through balanced HR management
that does not discriminate gender, origin, branch, or specialty contributes to
enhancing the future competitiveness of the organization.
Accordingly, the MND is striving to overcome the limitations in performance-
oriented HR management and improve the diversity and equity of the organizational
structure.
First, the MND is expanding the selection of outstanding female servicemembers
to achieve gender-balanced HR management. As a result, the number of female
servicemembers promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and colonel has increased
by 360% from 22 in 2016 to 79 in 2020. Moreover, in 2019 a female officer reached Chapter 5
the rank of major general for the first time, and another female officer became a
brigadier general for the first time in the military intelligence branch.

[Chart 5-3] Female Servicemember Promotions by Rank in the Past Five Years
(Unit: person)
Category 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Captain → Major 159 146 212 215 236
Major → 20 35 51 63 71
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
→ Colonel 2 6 7 5 8
Colonel
→ Brigadier General 0 3 2 2 1

To achieve origin-balanced HR management, the MND has expanded the
assigning of non-academy graduate officers to key positions such as policy
departments which were mainly filled by academy graduate officers by improving
the HR management. Also, the promotion rate of non-academy graduate officers
has been gradually increased since 2018. The MND will continue to strengthen the
careers and competencies of all officers regardless of their origin and enhance the
competitiveness of the military organization by conducting promotion assessment
based on free competition that takes into account the individuals’ abilities and
qualities instead of their origins.
To promote balanced HR management by branch and specialty, the MND
encourages the revitalization of military service by promoting excellent personnel
who have served sincerely to the end of their service periods, breaking away from the

Chapter 5. Establishing a Fair, Transparent, and Efficient National Defense Operation System 155