"Is the Starting Salary Really 4 Million Won?"... Surprise as Navy Salary and Savings Benefits Revealed

Navy Junior Sergeant’s Pay Statement Draws Attention
Even “100% Interest” Savings Benefits

Economic YouTuber Shuka drew attention after visiting a Navy vessel and revealing the salary level of a newly commissioned sergeant. It was found that, including allowances, the monthly post-tax pay reaches around 4 million won, which has heightened public interest in improving military compensation.

Economic YouTuber Shuka visited the Navy 2nd Fleet and revealed information about the salary of a newly commissioned sergeant and various welfare benefits. Screenshot from the Navy YouTube channel

Recently, the Republic of Korea Navy released a video on its official YouTube channel titled, "If you serve on a Navy vessel, does a newly commissioned sergeant receive a post-tax salary of 4 million won? Full disclosure of the pay slip."

The video features Shuka, who filmed at the Navy 2nd Fleet. Shuka said, "There was something that really surprised me today," adding, "I saw this month's pay slip for the youngest sergeant in the Navy, specifically a second-year sergeant at the lowest rank."

"Base Salary of Around 2.3 Million Won"... Total Reaches 4 Million Won with Allowances

According to the disclosed data, the base salary for a second-year sergeant was 2,349,300 won. While Shuka commented, "It would be nice if it increased a bit more," he also mentioned additional allowances beyond the base salary. The fixed overtime allowance was 108,830 won, the performance-based overtime allowance was 1,632,450 won, and the vessel duty allowance was 315,700 won, adding up to an extra 2.1 million won. The allowances were nearly equivalent to the base salary, and ultimately, the monthly salary for a newly commissioned sergeant reached approximately 4 million won.

Of course, Shuka noted, "Since a lot of time is spent on the ship, it makes sense there should be compensation for that," clarifying, "This figure applies when the maximum overtime allowance is received, and there are variations depending on duty location and conditions," emphasizing that this is an exceptional case.

Even a '100% Interest' Savings Plan... Welfare Programs Also Stand Out

Welfare benefits in addition to salary were also revealed. The Navy operates a variety of additional compensation systems, including a holiday bonus (twice a year, at 60% of base salary) and a performance bonus (once a year, at 73–147% of a rank-based standard amount).

Particularly notable was a savings plan for service members, jointly supported by the government and banks. If approximately 10.8 million won is deposited over three years, the government provides a matching amount, effectively offering a '100% interest' benefit.

In addition, newly commissioned sergeants are provided with private single-occupancy rooms, support for accident insurance, and a stable meal environment, reflecting overall improvements in welfare conditions.

Shuka concluded, "I hope that salaries will continue to rise and welfare will be expanded so that the treatment of non-commissioned officers who serve with only a sense of duty and patriotism will be improved," adding, "For those considering the Navy, please know that the treatment has improved this much and support with confidence."

After the video was released, online users responded with messages of support such as, "The treatment has improved a lot," "I hope it improves even more," and "Always grateful. Stay strong even when it's tough."

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