Page 158 - 2020 Defence White Paper

previous practice of promoting a servicemember based on his or her specif c branch
or specialty. Moreover, the MND is striving to foster balanced talents in various
fields by selecting those with expertise in specific fields and who have the ability to
lead the development of the military.
The MND will further streamline policy directions, implementation systems, and
policy contents related to balanced HR management by conducting policy studies for
balanced HR management suitable for the future security environment.

Establishing an HR Management The MND is also making considerable
System that Fosters Top-Notch efforts to train top-notch experts in each
Experts in Each Field field to prepare for changes of trends
in future wars and the transformation
to a technology-intensive military structure. In connection with Defense Reform
2.0 in particular, the HR management system is being improved with the focus on
enhancing the expertise and utility of cyber-experts, combined and joint experts, and
acquisition experts.
First, the MND re-established the concept of "cyber-experts" in order to develop
the ability to respond to the rapidly increasing cyber-threat and to carry out

cyberwarfare. Accordingly, the opportunity to become a cyber-expert, which was
previously given to officers only, has been expanded to all ranks including NCOs
and civilian military employees. Active duty cyber-experts receive a cyber-specialty
or qualification while a cyber-field was newly established for civilian military
employees through revision of related laws and regulations in March 2020. By 2021,
the MND plans to gradually acquire experts according to the HR acquisition goal
for each status by, and to designate cyber-expert positions in consideration of annual
unit reorganizations and organizational changes and enhance the expertise of cyber-
experts by operating the designated positions by rotation.
The "combined and joint training experts" system fosters and utilizes human
resources to lead the process of OPCON transition and subsequent combined
operations. The positions are divided into two classes depending on the level
2)
of jointness and language proficiency. First, the verification for expert position
appointment was strengthened so to ensure objectivity. The language proficiency
2) standard, which had been set too high, was eased to adjust to appropriate standards.
• Group A: Positions that
require high level of In addition, the pool of experts was expanded by granting qualifications to those
jointness and language
skills (49 positions) who received commissioned education for more than 6 months in English-speaking
• Group B: Positions that
require general level of countries. The MND plans to activate the rotation of combined and joint training
jointness and language
skills (320 positions) experts to the JCS, ROK–US Combined Forces Command, joint units, and field

2020 Defense White Paper