The Ministry of National Defense has announced a goal of gradually reducing the military service alternative for artists and athletes and ultimately abolishing it.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also said it would hear opinions from the sports and arts communities and consult with the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration on fundamental improvements.
However, the statements from the two ministries concern the direction and plans for institutional reform; they are not a finalized decision to abolish the system.
3-Line Summary
1. The military service alternative is not an exemption from the duty of military service
2. The Ministry of National Defense has stated a goal of gradual reduction and abolition
3. Actual changes can be confirmed only after an institutional improvement plan is issued
Controversy Over the Expression “Military Exemption” Following a Gold Medal
The Minister of National Defense said during the National Assembly National Defense Committee’s parliamentary audit that the goal was to gradually reduce and ultimately abolish the military service alternative in the arts and sports fields. After military service-related remarks and social media posts by some members of the Asian Games soccer national team became controversial, the issues of declining military personnel resources and fairness again became points of contention.
The first term that needs to be corrected in this discussion is “military exemption.” Under the current system, athletes who win at least an Olympic bronze medal or an Asian Games gold medal may be assigned to serve as arts and sports personnel. This does not eliminate their duty of military service; rather, after 4 weeks of basic military training, they serve as sports personnel in the supplementary service in place of active-duty service.
If the nature of the benefit is not described accurately, discussions over maintaining or abolishing the system can easily become confused. The central issue in this debate is how far exceptions to the method of service should extend.
The Ministry of National Defense’s Goal and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Consultation Are Not Yet Results
The Ministry of National Defense has announced a policy of reflecting measures to reduce or abolish the supplementary service system, including arts and sports personnel, in the Basic Plan for Defense Reform. A commissioned research project is also underway to strengthen the criteria for assignment as arts and sports personnel. One proposal under discussion is to reduce the scope of international competitions or consider a so-called mileage system that accumulates points based on factors such as the scale of competitions and the number of participating countries.
The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism said at the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee’s parliamentary audit on October 7 that the ministry would gather opinions from the sports and arts communities and prepare fundamental and comprehensive measures with the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration. The minister also indicated agreement with a proposal for complementary measures to invigorate Sangmu, the Armed Forces Athletic Corps.
However, the measures under consideration and consultation plans do not themselves mean that the system has been changed. The competitions covered, assignment criteria, and scope of impact on athletes who have already become eligible for the benefit cannot be determined solely from the announcements provided.
Can the Standard Be Changed from a Single Gold Medal?
During the parliamentary audit, a proposal was also made to cumulatively evaluate achievements and contributions across multiple international competitions, rather than determining eligibility for the military service alternative based on a single Asian Games gold medal. It was also pointed out that, even when winning a world championship is more difficult in some sports, athletes may not qualify for the alternative under the current system alone.
If the system changes, the issue will not simply be whether to retain or eliminate the alternative. Decisions will also have to be made about which achievements to recognize, how to address differences in difficulty among sports, and which service system should compensate for interruptions in athletes’ careers. What can be confirmed now is that government ministries have begun discussing reform; the final system has not yet been announced.
References
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