Reserve Forces Training to be Conducted as Same-Day Training Starting September

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The second half-year reserve forces training, scheduled to be conducted from September, will be shortened to a one-day schedule. As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has not subsided, the mobilization reserve forces training and regional reserve forces training will be conducted as a one-day schedule without distinction. This is the first time since the reserve system was introduced in 1968 that the entire reserve forces training has been reduced.

On the 29th, the Ministry of National Defense announced, "Considering the prevention of COVID-19 spread, the safety of the reserve forces, and the conditions of active-duty units, from September 1, reserve forces mobilization training and regional training will both be shortened to a one-day schedule," adding, "Essential training tasks such as shooting and combat skills will be conducted at regional reserve training centers, and the reserve forces training will be considered completed."

The reduction of the mobilization reserve forces training from the existing 2 nights and 3 days to a one-day training is due to the fact that group lodging within military units makes training practically impossible. Individuals can choose between morning or afternoon sessions, and excluding commuting time, it takes about 4 hours. This year, approximately 2 million people are subject to the training, and those eligible can apply next month. From the perspective of preventing COVID-19 spread and considering social distancing, the number of trainees per day will be reduced compared to usual, and strict quarantine measures such as temperature checks upon entry and distancing during training will be enforced. If a reservist checks their health and shows abnormal symptoms, they can apply to the reserve unit by phone without submitting separate documents or visiting, and the training will be postponed accordingly. The Ministry of National Defense also announced that to prepare for situations where mobilization training is restricted like this year, a remote education system will be prepared and pilot tested from November through the end of the year.

Reserve forces training usually begins every February. However, this year, due to the spread of COVID-19, it was postponed to April 17. As the spread did not stop, the start date was delayed again to June 1. Subsequently, the military authorities decided to forgo the first half-year reserve forces training entirely and not conduct any reserve training until September. Reserve forces in the special disaster areas of Daegu and Gyeongbuk (Cheongdo, Gyeongsan, Bonghwa) have already been exempted from training this year. Additionally, reserve military doctors, public health doctors, and nursing officers who participated in COVID-19 medical support were also excluded from this year’s training.

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