General-level officers received about W100 mil. last year: ministry

By Jun Ji-hye

The annual salary of a four-star general last year was 128.4 million won ($118,800) on average, while a lieutenant general made 121.7 million won, according to a report from the Ministry of National Defense.

The ministry’s 2014 compilation of defense statistics, released Tuesday, also showed that a major general and brigadier general received 107.7 million won and 98 million won last year, respectively.

The average annual salary included basic pay, bonuses, transportation expenses and other extra pay. These officers have served in military for about 30 years or more on average.

It was the first time that the ministry disclosed officers’ salaries in detail.

With regard to field-grade officers, annual salary of a colonel was 97 million won, while those for a lieutenant colonel and major were 86 million won and 66 million won, respectively.

Salaries for enlisted soldiers have gradually increased, but still remain low.

The annual salaries for a sergeant, corporal, private first class and private were 1.79 million won, 1.62 million won, 1.46 million won and 1.35 million won, respectively.

Yearly salary for the highest ranking officer, a four-star general, was 95 times higher than that of the lowest-ranking private.

The defense ministry also disclosed the military pension granted to those who served in military for more than 20 years.

The statistics showed that after a colonel who served for 30 years is discharged, he will receive 3.5 million won monthly pension. In the case of a lieutenant colonel who served for 28 years, the monthly pension will be 3.11 million won.

Given that about 80 percent of funds for military pensions come from taxpayers’ money, the latest disclosure is expected to escalate calls for reforming the military pension system and force soldiers to contribute more to their own pension.

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