Exemplary Military Service Families Honored Across Generations... Benefits Extended Regardless of Residence

Seoul, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Improve Regulations

"Honors for Exemplary Military Service Families Should Not Be Regionally Restricted"

Reduced Public Facility Fees Regardless of Place of Residence

Going forward, families recognized for exemplary military service will be eligible for benefits such as reduced public facility usage fees regardless of their region of residence. The Exemplary Military Service Family system honors families in which three generations have fulfilled their military duty, aiming to foster social respect and pride. However, benefits had previously been restricted only to those residing in the respective localities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Citizens Audit Ombudsman Committee announced on May 26 that, in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, it had improved the regulation that limited benefits for exemplary military service families based on region.

Soldiers deployed at the wildfire site. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

This policy improvement was initiated after the Committee proposed to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission that it is unreasonable to restrict national-level honors for exemplary military service families based on residency. As a result, the central government and local governments worked together to implement the change.

Since 2004, the Military Manpower Administration has designated exemplary military service families and provided benefits such as discounts on public institution usage and parking fees. However, most local governments have limited these benefits to local residents, which has undermined the system’s original intent of honoring those who fulfill national military duty on a countrywide basis.

In response, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission recommended that the Military Manpower Administration and each local government abolish the regional restriction on benefits for exemplary military service families and revise relevant ordinances so that all such families may receive honors regardless of their place of residence.

Since the launch of its fourth term in May last year, the Committee has focused on regulatory and policy improvements as a core task to achieve tangible protection of citizens’ rights and to strengthen the effectiveness of the ombudsman system. Through regular and ad hoc consultative bodies with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, a wide range of issues have been discussed, resulting in meaningful improvements through ongoing cooperation. In December last year, the Committee enhanced convenience and transparency for users by improving the Integrated Culture Voucher (Munhwa Nuri Card) system. In April, it also pursued institutional improvements directly related to citizen safety by introducing measures for compensation and insurance for fatalities caused by ground subsidence.

Cho Deokhyeon, Chairperson of the Seoul Citizens Audit Ombudsman Committee, stated, "The expansion of honors for exemplary military service families, initiated by Seoul’s proposal for policy improvement, is significant in that it represents respect and recognition at the national level, rather than for a specific region. We hope this improvement will further broaden social recognition for exemplary military service families."

Kim Kiseon, Director General of the Policy Bureau for Rights Improvement at the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said, "We hope this policy improvement provides an opportunity to reflect once more on appropriate ways to honor faithful fulfillment of national defense obligations. The Commission will continue to address and improve unreasonable systems that affect the daily lives of citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.