Page 30 - 2020 Defence White Paper

| Adoption of Pooled Sample Testing Strategy | Due to the surge in the number of confirmed cases in
Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, the Armed Forces Medical Science Research Institute sought
to conduct rapid large-scale tests without affecting the accuracy of the test, which led to the application
of a pooled sample testing strategy. In general, the method of collecting samples and pooling them gave
rise to the issue of diluting samples and reducing accuracy, but the pooled sample testing strategy
adopts the way of pooling swabs in a single culture plate at the sampling stage and restricts the number
of swabs placed inside the culture plate to a maximum of five to ensure accuracy.
Since March 2020, the ROK Armed Forces has implemented the pooled sample testing strategy for
those who are likely to test negative among servicemembers, in which it has resulted in a three to four-
fold increase in the amount of samples tested while reducing the number of tests. Although there were
concerns both inside and outside the military at the beginning of its adoption, the Korea Disease Control
and Prevention Agency verified the validity of the testing strategy with 650 evaluations and tests. In April,
the Agency also adopted the strategy as the formal diagnostic test method for COVID-19, which was
used for collective testing at nursing hospitals and similar institutions.

| Adjustment of Education and Training | In 2020, the training of
reserve forces were not conducted for the first time since the reserve
forces training was introduced, in light of the national crisis alert level
and spread of the pandemic in the ROK. However, the MND still
provided non-face-to-face remote training to replace the traditional
method.
Accordingly, all the reservists required to undergo training in 2020
were deemed to have completed their training, and remote training
based on voluntary participation consisting of introductory education Remote training system for reserve
forces
tasks including CBRN and other combat skills and reserve forces
duty was carried out starting from November.
Despite the COVID-19 situation, various kinds of education and training were offered through flexible
adjustment considering the essential elements of education and training and circumstances of each unit.
The MND set basic principles for unit training, recruit training, school education, invitation of outside
lecturers, field trips and training, and combined overseas exercises for each level of social distancing,
and allowed field commanders to flexibly implement detailed measures at their discretion.
During education and training, contact with outside lecturers and civilians was minimized, and indoor
education was adjusted to a small scale while strictly observing preventive measures against the
epidemic. In addition to operability assessment, the guidelines were enhanced to ensure that the
COVID-19 impact evaluation is carried out for combined overseas exercises.

2020 Defense White Paper