Army NCOs Can Choose Long-Term Service if Desired

Preparing for NCO Personnel Shortages and Other Challenges

Starting in 2028, Army non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who wish to do so will be able to transition to long-term service.

At the 263rd Special Forces Noncommissioned Officer Commissioning Ceremony held at the Army Special Warfare School in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, newly appointed Special Forces Noncommissioned Officers are reciting the Special Forces Unit Creed. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 19th, an Army official met with reporters and explained these and other details from the “Army NCO Comprehensive Development Plan 4.0.” In response to issues such as low recruitment of entry-level NCOs, the outflow of experienced NCOs, a shortage of personnel, and a declining pool of military resources, the Army has established a new personnel policy for NCOs.

Currently, there are several pathways to becoming an NCO: the civilian NCO system, in which civilians are commissioned directly as NCOs and are required to serve for four years; and the term-based and active-duty NCO systems, in which enlisted soldiers are commissioned as NCOs. The term-based NCO system allows those who have completed their mandatory service as soldiers to be commissioned as sergeants (Hasa) and to extend their service for a short period (from six months to a maximum of four years). The active-duty NCO system allows soldiers currently in active service to apply to become career military personnel, with a mandatory service period of four years. Typically, after two years of service, NCOs can apply and, if selected, transition to long-term service, although some high performers have been selected for long-term service immediately upon commissioning.

The Army plans to reduce the minimum required service period for automatic promotion from sergeant (Hasa) to staff sergeant (Jungsa) in the current NCO rank system (Hasa → Jungsa → Sangsa → Wonsa), from the current six years to five years next year, and then to four years by 2028. This change reflects feedback from the field that the excessively long period required for promotion to Jungsa has led to declining morale and difficulties in securing potential applicants. Currently, the distribution of ranks is 7% Wonsa (Master Sergeant), 31% Sangsa (Sergeant Major), 34% Jungsa (Staff Sergeant), and 28% Hasa (Sergeant). After 2031, the Army aims to restructure this so that Wonsa will make up 8%, Sangsa 34%, Jungsa 37%, and Hasa 21% of the NCO corps, increasing the proportions of Sangsa and Jungsa while reducing Hasa.

Furthermore, starting in 2028, NCOs with no disqualifying factors who wish to do so will be able to undergo the selection process and be appointed to long-term service at a 100% rate. This is intended to allow NCOs to choose the long-term service track early in their careers.

While the annual number of NCOs selected for long-term service used to be around 3,000, this was expanded to about 3,900 from last year. Following a 6.6% increase in the base salary for sergeants and staff sergeants this year, the Army also plans to raise the average monthly salary for sergeants to around 3 million KRW next year, as part of efforts to ensure base salary reflects reality for junior officers.

In addition, to prevent a decline in pride among NCOs who are often assigned to routine tasks unrelated to combat readiness or training, the Army will significantly increase outsourcing of such duties and consolidate unit operation tasks from the current 114 categories to 78. Opportunities previously considered exclusive to officers, such as military exchanges with foreign forces and language training, will also be opened to NCOs.

An Army official stated, “In the future, NCOs will be at the center of the Army’s transformation into a high-tech scientific force. The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) is identifying all positions that NCOs can fill in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), drones, and integrated manned-unmanned systems, and we are taking steps to assign personnel to these roles.”

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