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| Army 6th Infantry Division sergeant first class Yoo Eun-mi, instructs a fellow soldier on how to handle a K-4 machine gun on Sept. 17. / Yonhap |
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| Second lieutenant Hong Ji-hye camouflages her face before ordering the 76th Artillery Battalion to fire during an exercise Sept. 17. / Yonhap |
Hong Ji-hye, a second lieutenant, is the first-ever female officer assigned to the Army's artillery branch.
Commissioned in March, the 25-year-old is currently carrying out her duties at the 76th Artillery Battalion. Her primary task is to calculate firing data and order troops to shoot.
She could become the first female officer specialized in artillery missions after the Army opened its artillery, armored and air defense divisions to female soldiers this year.
"I want to explore a new way at the artillery unit, a pivot of counter-fire warfare," said Hong. "I feel a huge responsibility with the title of the first female officer of the artillery branch. I am also well aware of the public attention on myself. I will spare no effort to improve as an artillery expert."
Along with Hong, eight other female officers are currently serving in artillery units.
There are 6,000 female soldiers in the Army who are currently on active service.
When that number is added to those serving in the Air Force and Navy, the total is 8,000.
The number of female soldiers has increased considerably from the time of the Korean War when there were only about 400 females in the military.
For the Army's 6th Infantry Division, Sergeant First Class Yoo Eun-mi serves as a squad commander with her primary responsibilities being managing and educating troops.
Yoo, who was commissioned in 2002, said she wanted to be a soldier from the time she was in middle school.
The 33-year-old is called a "superwoman" because she is also the mother of a 5-year-old daughter.
"I have much pride as a soldier. But, at the same time, I try to dedicate myself to my family as well as my work," she said.
Her husband is also a sergeant first class in the same division.
Yoo said that the working environment for female soldiers who have babies has improved considerably.
"If you have a child younger than 12 years old, you can adjust your working hours. This system really helps you when you need to send your child to a kindergarten or pick them up."
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
