Busy with missions, soldiers face 'mandatory training overload'... "Needs adjustment"

Rep. Yoo Yong-won Calls for "Reorganization of Mandatory Training"
Says Military Needs Tailored Education System Distinct from Other Public Sectors

The military has been criticized for imposing excessive mandatory training on professional soldiers based on uniform standards applied to general public officials and public enterprise employees, which do not fit the circumstances of professional soldiers.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party on the 9th, the authorities require professional soldiers performing duties in the military to complete mandatory training according to the general 'Public Institution Operation Act' as is.

Specifically, the training includes ▲Multicultural Understanding Education (based on the Military Service Basic Act and Unit Management Regulations) ▲Military Human Rights Education (based on the Military Service Basic Act) ▲Gender Sensitivity Education (based on the Framework Act on Gender Equality) ▲Disability Awareness Improvement Education (based on the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act) ▲Child Abuse Prevention Education (based on the Child Welfare Act) ▲Integrity Education (based on the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Act and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act), which are conducted annually in a mixed format of face-to-face and non-face-to-face sessions.

Mandatory education for military officers has been continuously added separately from their duties, starting with non-face-to-face military human rights education in 2012, followed by face-to-face and non-face-to-face combined gender sensitivity education in 2014, multicultural understanding education in 2015, integrity education in 2016, disability awareness improvement education in 2018, and non-face-to-face child abuse prevention education in 2019.

Regarding this, Kim Se-jin, senior researcher at the Taejin Research Foundation, stated, "Where exactly do they intend to push officers who already have no capacity beyond their existing duties? Even inmates in correctional facilities probably do not receive this much education."

Rep. Yoo said, "Separate from public officials, public enterprises, or high-ranking officials, a review body for mandatory education tailored to soldiers should be established considering the military's uniqueness and reality, allowing for consultation and adjustment of the time allocated annually for military officer education and the necessary training."

He added, "It is also necessary to reorganize the face-to-face and non-face-to-face education according to the target audience and frequency, and to unify the currently dispersed platforms such as Nara Learning Center and M-MOOC. The Ministry of National Defense and each military branch must also make continuous efforts to prepare measures so that officers can focus on building a military that fights and wins."

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