On Nov. 5, second-year cadets from the Navy, Army, Air Force and the Armed Forces Nursing Academy listen to remarks by Vice Adm. Hwang Sun-woo, commander of the Navy Fleet, on the vehicle deck of the Navy’s large transport ship Marado (LPH). Nov. 5, 2025. (Image provided by the Navy.)
SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Navy conscripts report markedly higher levels of insomnia and depression than their counterparts in other branches, according to a Defense Ministry mental-health survey that lawmakers say underscores the urgent need for branch-specific interventions.
The survey — conducted jointly by the ministry, the Armed Forces Medical Command and Seoul National University Hospital — gathered responses from 4,497 enlisted personnel between June and December last year. Participants included 2,353 Army soldiers, 709 Navy sailors, 556 Marines and 879 Air Force personnel.
Conscripts self-reported their conditions through a standardized checklist covering tobacco dependence, alcohol use, insomnia, depression, suicide risk, PTSD, gambling and smartphone addiction.
Overall, 13.6 percent of respondents reported tobacco dependence, 6.2 percent insomnia, 5.1 percent depression, 2.3 percent suicide risk and 7.8 percent high-risk smartphone addiction.
Warships conduct tactical maneuvers during a fleet-level maritime mobile exercise held in the East Sea on Nov. 10. From front to back: ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong, ROKS Jeongjo the Great, ROKS Yulgok Yi I, ROKS Wang Geon, ROKS Gang Gam-chan, ROKS Daecheong and ROKS Cheonji. (Provided by the Navy.)
But the Navy stood apart across several indicators.
Self-reported depression among sailors surged from 3 percent in 2023 to 8.2 percent in 2024 — far above levels in the Army (4.8 percent) and Air Force (3.9 percent). Insomnia was also more prevalent, affecting 7.9 percent of Navy personnel compared with 5.5 percent in the Army and 5.7 percent in the Air Force.
A Defense Ministry official said the elevated numbers in the Navy likely reflect “a complex mix of factors,” including the stresses of shipboard duty and unique service environments. The Navy, the official added, is undertaking various efforts to strengthen mental-health support.
The Marine Corps showed the highest tobacco-dependence rate at 23.1 percent, well above the military average, and had the highest incidence of gambling issues at 2.5 percent.
Smartphone addiction risk was most severe in the Air Force at 9.7 percent, followed by the Navy (8.7 percent), Army (7.1 percent) and Marine Corps (6.7 percent).
Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party, who released the findings on Sunday, urged the government to adopt targeted strategies that reflect the “distinct environments and cultural characteristics” of each branch. “High-risk groups dealing with depression, smartphone addiction and other issues require immediate, professional management and treatment,” he said.
On Nov. 4, the Navy’s Dosan Ahn Chang-ho–class submarine Anmu departs Jinhae Naval Base to participate in the 2025 Silent Shark exercise. (Image provided by the Republic of Korea Navy.)
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
