[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Considering the Introduction of 'Uigyeongje' Without Solving Troop Shortage

Government Considers Reintroducing Military Service Economy for Crime Prevention
Severe Shortage of Troops Raises Concerns Inside and Outside the Military

The government has announced that it will actively consider reintroducing the Mandatory Police Service (Uigyeong), drawing attention to the feasibility of this move. If the Uigyeong, which was abolished due to manpower shortages, is reintroduced, the issue of manpower shortage could resurface.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 23rd, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced a statement at the Government Seoul Office titled "Prime Minister’s Statement to Prevent Recurrence of Abnormal Motivation Crimes," saying, "To significantly strengthen crime prevention capabilities, we will actively consider reintroducing the Mandatory Police Service," and added, "This means reviewing ways to optimize personnel allocation within the existing manpower resources."

The Mandatory Police Service (Uigyeong) is a system where conscripts serve by assisting police security duties instead of enlisting in the military during their mandatory service period. It was established in December 1982, began being phased out in 2017, and was completely abolished this April when the last group held a joint discharge ceremony. Since its establishment in 1983, a total of 490,000 conscripts have served as Uigyeong.

However, the government is now considering reintroducing the Uigyeong, which was abolished after 40 years following the discharge of the last group in May this year. In response to a series of violent crimes involving weapons targeting unspecified masses, such as incidents in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, and Seohyeon Station in Gyeonggi Province, and the rising public anxiety, the government has brought out the Uigyeong revival card to strengthen public security.

At the press conference that day, Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun stated, "In the past, the Uigyeong numbered up to 25,000. This time, we plan to operate about 8,000 through phased recruitment in consultation with the Ministry of National Defense," adding, "We expect it to take about 7 to 9 months." This is interpreted as recruiting 8,000 from the approximately 200,000 annual active-duty enlistment candidates to serve as Uigyeong, transferring to police service.

Some argue that rather than increasing the Uigyeong by 8,000, it is more urgent to deploy police forces strategically, strengthen patrols, and expand security infrastructure such as closed-circuit television (CCTV), security lights, and emergency bells.

Even within the Ministry of National Defense, positive reactions are lacking. Although the Prime Minister’s direct involvement allows for consideration, there is no welcoming atmosphere for the reintroduction of the Uigyeong itself. The main reason is the serious burden caused by the decreasing manpower resources. Especially at the time of abolishing the Uigyeong, the shortage was so severe that alternative service personnel such as public service lawyers, arts and sports personnel, and public health doctors were also reduced.

The current standing forces, including about 300,000 active-duty soldiers, total 500,000, but are projected to drop significantly to 360,000 by 2040. A Ministry of National Defense official said, "With the heightened threat from North Korea and the delay in deploying advanced weapon systems to replace the decreasing manpower under the previous administration, giving up 8,000 active-duty soldiers to the police is not an easy decision."

Moreover, this year, the military is facing a serious talent drain as the number of long-term service military officers applying for discharge after five years has been increasing annually.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to Assemblyman Bae Jin-gyo of the Justice Party, 189 long-term service officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps applied for discharge after five years this year. This is the highest number in the past 10 years since 2013. The number of applicants this year increased by 9 compared to last year (180) and nearly doubled compared to two years ago in 2021 (95).

A military official said, "Even with the introduction of unmanned systems, there will be limits to reducing military personnel," and added, "The issue of reintroducing the Uigyeong requires coordination of opinions among multiple government departments."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.