Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) in South Korea is a college-based officer training program which was established in 1961.[1][2] South Korea's Conscription Law applies to males, aged between 18 and 35,[3] although women are allowed to enroll in the ROTC as of 2010.[4]
Applicants to the ROTC program go through a screening process; a written exam, an interview and health examination, and a background check. Once accepted, members undergo and military education throughout the semester; they are also required to undergo actual military training during school holidays. After commissioning, they serve for two and a half years; an individual may choose to extend his or her service past the required period in pursuit of an active military career.[1]
Impact on South Korean society[]
It was estimated by a Library of Congress research in 1990 that approximately 40% of new second lieutenants were commissioned from the ROTC program after two years of training and two years and three months of obligatory service; most would leave the service after the obligatory period. The Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon produced another 40% of new second lieutenants; 5% were graduates of various military academies and 15% were directly-commissioned specialists in the medical corps, judge advocates and chaplains.[5] It has been postulated that the ROTC program in South Korea has contributed to national integration and cultural homogeneity, where military training had become a common cultural and organizational reference point; military officers became business managers and military conscripts became factory workers. A case in point would be Hyundai, which systematically preferred workers who had undergone ROTC training.[6]
In 2011, South Korea had 9,063 ROTC cadets from 109 universities.[2]
Ties with United States ROTC[]
Cadets of the United States Reserve Officers' Training Corps routinely collaborate with their South Korean counterparts in cultural exchanges such as the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency (CULP) program.[2]
See also[]
- Reserve Officers' Training Corps
- Reserve Officers' Training Corps (Philippines)
- Reserve Officers' Training Corps (Taiwan)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lee, Jisoo. "Blue Suits and Blue Berets?". http://www.hanyang.ac.kr/user/indexSub.action?codyMenuSeq=1292&siteId=hanyangeng&menuType=T&uId=7&sortChar=G&menuFrame=left&linkUrl=07_03.html&mainFrame=right&dum=dum&command=weekly_view&weeklyFile=i&weeklyViewType=eng_list&weeklyId=2013-01-4-j. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sang-ho, Song (1 July 2011). "Korea, U.S. ROTC cadets cement alliance". The Korea Herald. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20110701000881. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
- ↑ "Banned South Korean earns military exemption". Reuters via thestar.com.my. 2012-08-24. http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F8%2F25%2Fsports%2F2012-08-24T112349Z_1_BRE87N0FS_RTROPTT_0_UK-OLYMPICS-SOCCER-KOREA-MILITARY&sec=sports&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ↑ Joongang Daily (26 April 2011). "Women are showing keen interest in ROTC". http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2935345. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- ↑ Savada, Andrea Matles (1992). South Korea: A Country Study. Library of Congress. pp. 290–291. ISBN 0-8444-0736-4.
- ↑ Yun-Shik, Chang (2006). Transformations in Twentieth Century Korea. Routledge. pp. 146–147. ISBN 0-415-38065-0.
The original article can be found at Reserve Officers' Training Corps (South Korea) and the edit history here.