Military to test system for voluntary extension of service: ministry source

The South Korean military is planning to give enlisted soldiers the option of extending their commitment for one more year, and will test the new system in 2008, a Defense Ministry source said Sunday.

The system, part of a military reform program to upgrade fighting capability in the face of declining manpower, calls for an effort to retain enlisted soldiers after their mandatory service expires. Under the plan, the soldiers are to be given pay that is on par with that in the civilian sector.

South Korea's 600,000-strong military is manned for the most part by conscripts who are paid less than 50,000 won (US$53.80) a month. Army enlisted personnel must serve 2 years, while those in the Navy and Air Force serve 26 months and 27 months, respectively.

"The matter was brought up at a meeting of key commanding officers chaired by Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo on Dec. 15," a military source said. Under the original reform plan, the military plans to start the volunteer system in 2011 and expand it gradually to 20,000 troops by 2020.

The source said a bill on the voluntary extensions is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly next year, with the measure to be applied to some units in 2008. The bill should include level of pay, welfare benefits and pay the soldiers will receive for their extra time in the military, according to the source.

The trial period will help determine if the system is viable and capable of solving problems, the source said.

Most of the soldiers that will be retained will be in specialized areas that require high degrees of expertise and experience.

The announcement comes as the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae last week floated the idea of reducing the period of military service in 2007. The change is expected to entail an increase in the national budget.

Seoul, Dec. 24 (Yonhap News)