Military Officials' Desire for Early Retirement at Record High, Concerns Over Security Threats Grow
In the first half of this year, the number of Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps officers voluntarily choosing to retire before reaching the end of their service period has reached an all-time high.
With the military's early retirement rate increasing each year, there is a red flag regarding the stability of military organizations.
According to the "Recent 5 Years of Desired Retirement Statistics for Military Officials in the First Half of Each Year," received from the Ministry of National Defense by Representative Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party on the 28th, the number of military officials who applied for early retirement despite having time left in their service reached 2,869 in the first half of this year.
This figure marks an increase of about 2.1 times compared to the first half of 2021 (1,351 individuals).
The number of officials applying for early retirement has consistently grown each year: 1,351 in 2021, 1,694 in 2022, 2,212 in 2023, and 2,723 in 2024.
Of particular concern is that about 86% of this year's applicants, or 2,460 individuals, are non-commissioned officers and junior officers.
Concerns Over Breakdown of Military Organization Due to Key Personnel Departures
The phenomenon of military departure among junior and mid-level officials who directly command soldiers and manage operations in field units is worsening, leading experts to express serious concerns.
These individuals play a crucial role in the military organization, and large-scale departures could directly impact national security.
The number of officials on leave has also surged. From 1,846 in the first half of 2021, the number of leave-taking officials has more than doubled to 3,884 in the first half of this year.
This has created a vicious cycle where remaining officials face increased workloads due to a lack of personnel to fill in for those on leave, necessitating urgent measures.
The accelerating military departure phenomenon has been attributed to the decline in military status due to the state of emergency and dissatisfaction with low treatment and compensation.
Although the conditions for soldiers have improved, military officials are still relatively poorly treated compared to similar occupations in the fire service or police.
Recently, military authorities and the National Assembly's Defense Committee formulated budget increase proposals for duty work expenses, moving costs, and training meal expenses during discussions for the 2025 budget and this year's first and second supplementary budgets. However, these proposals were ultimately not reflected.
Representative Yoo Yong-won expressed concern, stating, "The junior and mid-level officials are key personnel who directly command soldiers in field units and practically operate the organization. The accelerating trend of their departure could lead to a collapse of the military organization, which is the backbone of our security."
He added, "Issues regarding the improvement of military officials' treatment have not received attention due to the state of emergency and presidential election scenarios. With the new government's first Minister of National Defense appointed, now is the time for military authorities to deeply consider various measures, including economic incentives to encourage the service of military officials."
Image Source: Reference photos for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank, Reference photos for understanding the article / Source = Insight, The Army announced that on June 27, it conducted the '2025 Korea Army Officer Integrated Commissioning Ceremony' at the Army Student Military School located in Goesan-gun, Chungbuk, under the supervision of Acting Army Chief of Staff Ko Chang-jun. 2025.6.27 / News1 (Provided by the Army)
