The make up of the ROK military will look a little different by 2030:
The number of soldiers coming from a multicultural background will account for 5 percent of the nation’s entire conscripts by 2030 after a notable increase since the 2009 amendment to the Military Service Act, which mandates military service for all Korean nationals, according to the report released by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Monday.
The report suggested that a growing number of conscripts from multicultural households could become a crucial resource in sustaining the military, helping address potential conscript shortages stemming from the country’s low birthrate. It raised the need for the military to establish and implement management and support policies tailored to multicultural soldiers.
Korea Times
You can read more at the link.
It looks like South Korea has developed another defense product with export potential:
South Korea is mass-producing its own unmanned aerial vehicle, 14 years in development, to boost its reconnaissance capabilities against the North. Production began recently for the medium-altitude UAVs, according to a news release Thursday from South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
The agency signed onto the $353 million project with three defense contractors — Korean Air, the country’s primary airline, and Seoul-based firms LIG Nex1 and Hanhwa Systems — in December; development began in 2008. The UAV is expected to fly at an altitude of roughly six to seven miles for South Korea’s air force and coast guard, with the possibility of it being exported to other countries, according to the release.
Stars and Stripes
You can read more at the link.
Considering how little time the Soldiers are given to use their phones during boot camp extending this program shouldn’t cause any issues with training:
Soldiers use mobile phones on an Army base in Gapyeong, 50 kilometers northeast of Seoul, Jan. 31, 2019. Yonhap
The military has extended a trial program for new military conscripts at boot camps to use mobile phones for one hour on weekends and holidays, the defense ministry said Wednesday.
In July, the ministry introduced the six-month trial program as part of efforts to allow conscripts to use mobile phones during their mandatory military service to help them better connect with family members and friends.
The ministry said the program has been extended until it decides on a new policy on mobile phone use after analyzing the program’s results and considering measures to address possible security issues and impact on operations.
Conscripts used to be barred from carrying mobile phones for security reasons, but the troops — except for fresh recruits — can now use and possess phones from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
Korea Times
You can read more at the link.
It is good to see the ROK military getting a significant pay increase, especially for those who choose to serve in frontline units:
South Korea plans to raise the annual salaries of entry-level military officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) at border units by up to 30 percent by 2027 from this year, the defense ministry said Sunday, amid a push to improve working conditions of troops.
The salary for a new staff sergeant stationed at a front-line unit will increase to 49 million won (US$37,190) in 2027, up 28 percent from this year, according to the ministry’s five-year welfare plan for service members.
The pay of a new second lieutenant at a border unit will rise to 49.9 million won in 2027, up 30 percent over the same period.
In ordinary units behind the front lines, a staff sergeant will see their annual pay increase to 37.6 million won in 2027, up 14 percent from this year, while a second lieutenant’s salary will rise to 39.1 million won in 2027, up 15 percent from this year.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
I would hope someone is developing technology to detect moving drone based mines like we are seeing the Black Sea right now from Ukraine:
Northrop Grumman has been contracted to provide technical support for South Korea’s upcoming naval minesweeping helicopter, the company announced in a news release Monday.
The Virginia-based company will support the integration of its Airborne Laser Mine Detection System, or ALMDS, into Korea Aerospace Industries’ Korean Mine Countermeasures Helicopter program by 2027, according to the release.
The purpose of the ALMDS is to detect and identify floating and near-surface moored mines, Northrop Grumman said on its website. The system has been used in U.S. Navy littoral combat ships and the MH-60S Seahawk helicopters since its development in 2016.
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link.
