A survey of 2,128 junior South Korean army officers revealed deep dissatisfaction within the ranks. -- PHOTO: EPA via The Straits Times/Asia News Network
SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): More than half of university students say they would apply to become military officers only if the starting annual salary were between 40 million won (S$35,300) and 50 million won, according to survey results recently released by the Republic of Korea Army.
The findings come as voluntary departures among junior officers continue to hit record highs, raising concerns about the stability of the armed forces’ personnel structure.
The data was presented on Dec 7 at the army’s development conference, based on a March survey of 1,301 students at nine universities nationwide.
In the survey, 61 per cent of respondents said they would consider applying to become officers only if the starting pay fell within the 40 million to 50 million won range annually.
This is far higher than the roughly 30 million won currently earned annually by first-year staff sergeants.
The survey also found that 91.4 per cent of university students viewed current military officer pay as “lower than that of the private sector despite being a profession of valuable contribution to the nation”.
“Students tend to avoid applying not because of the nature of the work, but because of the low salary,” said military studies professor Park Hyo-seon from Cheongju University who co-led the research.
Prof Park noted that this trend helps explain why 86 per cent of the 2,869 officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who left active duty in the first half of 2025 were mid-career personnel.
A separate survey of 2,128 junior army officers, also disclosed at the conference, revealed deep dissatisfaction within the ranks.
Only 12.29 per cent said they were satisfied with military service, while 70.5 per cent said they would move to the private sector “immediately if given the opportunity”.
Experts warned that, without urgent reforms, the exodus of junior officers will be difficult to reverse.
Among the proposals raised was adopting the US Department of Defense’s Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation system, which regularly adjusts military salaries to reflect civilian pay trends.
Army chief of staff General Kim Gyu-ha, who attended the conference along with 300 officers, said the event offered a “meaningful opportunity to seriously examine compensation issues within the army”, adding that the discussions would be shared with internal policymakers and the National Assembly.
Students’ salary expectations reflect broader trends in the civilian labour market.
According to recruitment platform Incruit, job seekers entering the workforce in 2025 expect an average starting annual salary of 41.4 million won, surpassing the 2024 national average entry-level wage of 36.75 million won.
The disparity is even greater at large companies.
Companies with 300 or more employees offer an average starting salary of 50.01 million won, while small and medium-sized companies pay just 33.28 million won, Incruit data shows.
The widening gap highlights the competitive environment the military faces as it tries to attract university graduates into officer roles.
Despite ongoing reforms, starting pay for junior officers in South Korea remains low by international standards.
In 2025, salaries for enlisted leaders and officers rose by roughly 6 per cent, according to the Defence Ministry.
A new second lieutenant now earns about 20.1 million won annually, while a new staff sergeant earns around 20 million won – barely half the level students say would make the career appealing.
Under a multi-year reform plan announced in 2023, the government aims to raise annual compensation for first-year staff sergeants to 49 million won and for first-year second lieutenants to 50 million won by 2027.
But those figures include allowances and have yet to materialise, leaving a significant near-term gap between expectations and reality.
Compared with other advanced militaries, South Korea’s entry-level officer pay lags even further behind.
A new US army second lieutenant earns roughly US$48,000 (S$62,200) in basic annual pay, with housing and food allowances raising total compensation significantly.
In Australia, a newly commissioned lieutenant earns between A$70,000 (S$60,200) and A$75,600 a year, while Singapore’s second lieutenants receive between $36,000 and $80,000 annually, depending on education level.
Entry-level officers in Britain start at around £41,456 (S$71,600) a year, and their German counterparts earn an estimated €35,000 (S$52,900) to €40,000 euros annually – figures that generally reflect base pay only and exclude extensive benefits.
The pay gap has become a central factor behind South Korea’s worsening retention crisis.
In the first half of 2025, 2,869 officers and NCOs voluntarily left the army, navy, air force and marine corps — the highest number ever recorded in the period from January to June, according to government data submitted to Representative Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party.
The number has more than doubled from 1,351 departures in the first half of 2021.
Even more concerning is that 86 per cent of those who left in 2025 were NCOs and company-grade officers – the core personnel who lead soldiers in front-line units and oversee daily operations.
“Junior and mid-career officers are the backbone of field units,” Mr Yu said. “The accelerating outflow of these personnel could undermine the foundational stability of the entire armed forces.”
He urged the new administration to prioritise economic incentives and broader reforms to stem the decline, saying the issue has been overshadowed by recent political crises, including the martial law controversy in 2024. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
