0
President Lee Jae-myung greets service members during a visit to the Marine Corps Yeonpyeong Unit in Ongjin County, Incheon, on the 24th. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

On the 24th, a day ahead of the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, President Lee Jae-myung visited the Marine Corps Yeonpyeong Unit on the western frontline. During his visit, he announced plans to "minimize conscription and transform the military into a place where individuals can choose to serve as a career through a volunteer recruitment system." With this remark, the President directly addressed his visions for a selective volunteer military system and a transition to high-tech national defense right from the frontlines.

"Our military must remilitarize itself with cutting-edge science and technology moving forward," President Lee stated during his meeting with service members at the Marine Corps Yeonpyeong Unit on Daeyeonpyeong Island in Ongjin County, Incheon. "Unlike in the past, the role of our service members must evolve so that they reborn as specialized soldiers and officers capable of operating advanced weaponry and equipment systems. I will overhaul the military framework to ensure that time spent in the service is never wasted, but rather serves as an opportunity to fully develop skills that remain highly viable in society after discharge."

The selective volunteer military system retains the framework of the current conscription model while allowing draft-eligible individuals to choose between serving as a standard conscript or volunteering as a technology-intensive combat non-commissioned officer (NCO). This system was one of President Lee's key campaign promises during the presidential election. However, because the policy is deeply intertwined with sensitive issues such as overall troop sizes, service durations, and the maintenance of combat readiness, the detailed structural design of the system is expected to emerge as a major point of contention in upcoming defense reform debates.

President Lee also emphasized the expansion of compensation for the sacrifices made by service members. "Thanks to your sacrifice and dedication, both the public and I are able to enjoy peaceful daily lives," President Lee said. "It is my firm conviction that those who bear an extraordinary sacrifice must receive extraordinary compensation to ensure social equity."

Furthermore, he called for self-reliant national defense and sweeping military reforms. "Since we have committed to increasing the defense budget to 3.5% of GDP, we will be spending significantly more on national defense than we do now," President Lee noted. "That defense spending will not be wasted or locked away; instead, it will be used as an opportunity to strengthen the capabilities of our military personnel and to build new hope for our youth."

                                                                                                       Park Young-hoon