Soldiers from the Korean Marine Corps conduct infiltration drills as part of a comprehensive tactical exercise focused on search and rescue training. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 26 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea saw an unprecedented number of senior military officers with more than five years of experience leave the armed forces last year, raising concerns about a potential erosion of combat readiness, according to government data.
A total of 9,481 commissioned and non-commissioned officers resigned in 2023, a 24.1% increase from the previous year and the highest annual figure on record, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
The exodus was particularly pronounced among mid-career officers with five to 10 years of service, who accounted for 43% of departures.
The loss of these field-grade officers — the sergeants, staff sergeants and lieutenants who oversee day-to-day operations and mentor enlisted personnel — is seen as a significant blow. They represent the backbone of warfighting capability as well as a pool of future senior leadership.
At the front lines, some army mechanized infantry divisions have already faced training disruptions and difficulties maintaining weapons systems amid a dearth of noncommissioned officers, military officials said.
Analysts cite widening pay gaps with private companies over the past two to three years and dissatisfaction with substandard housing and working conditions as major factors driving the departures, which have disproportionately affected those in the millennial and Gen Z age cohorts.
This photo, provided by the Army on Jan. 2, 2024, shows K9 self-propelled howitzers of the 2nd Artillery Brigade taking part in a live-fire exercise at a training ground in Hwacheon County, 89 kilometers northeast of Seoul.
Next year, the starting monthly salary for a staff sergeant in South Korea will be around 1.5 million won after taxes — on par with the lowest-ranking Army privates.
“More and more of my colleagues are looking to leave for civilian logistics or security jobs instead of staying for this kind of pay,” said one air force non-commissioned officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Kim Eui-sik, a professor of military science at Yongin University, said, “The mid-career officers who endured poor treatment in junior ranks are now reaching their breaking point and quitting.”
The implications for military readiness are causing serious concern. Officers remaining in understaffed frontline units are reporting unsustainable workloads, fatigue and plummeting morale as they are forced to take on duties typically handled by junior officers and enlisted ranks.
At one mechanized infantry division in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, the manning level for tank crews hovers at just 60 to 70% of requirements. When conducting drills with new armored vehicles, the unit has resorted to “labor pooling” — borrowing crews from other companies — as well as having infantry officers fill armor roles in a “patchwork” approach.
Military experts warn that overhauling compensation and quality-of-life provisions may be necessary to stanch the brain drain and prevent further degradation of forces. “While responsibilities have expanded for officers, their pay and benefits lag far behind,” said Kim Young-gon of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.
“The U.S. explicitly targets the 70th percentile of civilian wages when setting military compensation. Adopting something similar could help.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
