By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
A National Assembly panel Wednesday approved a bill to give additional points to men who have fulfilled their mandatory military service when they take state-run exams to become civil servants.
The Assembly's National Defense Committee endorsed the bill, proposed by Rep. Ko Jeou-heung of the Grand National Party (GNP) last year, with a vote of 7-2. Two lawmakers abstained.
It is unclear, however, if the bill will be passed by the Assembly as women's groups have vehemently opposed the move to revive the incentive system for discharged soldiers.
Unless it is passed during the 17th National Assembly, which ends by the end of this month, the bill will be automatically scrapped.
In 1999, the Constitutional Court ruled against the system, upholding a petition from an association of women's organizations. The court said the measure was ``too excessive'' and breaches the equal rights status of women and the disabled who are not obliged to serve in the military.
All able-bodied men over 19 are required to serve in the military for 24-27 months. Women can serve in the military as non-commissioned officers or officers but are not obligated to under the conscription system.
Hwang Hee-jong, chief of the Ministry of National Defense's health and welfare bureau, said the new bill will not be in violation of equal rights since the advantages under the bill have been eased to a greater extent not to harm the rights of women and the disabled.
``We've long reviewed practical measures to compensate men who spend a valuable part of their life for national defense and concluded that the incentive system is the best option,'' Hwang said. ``I believe the system will help improve camp culture and build a military in which all want to serve.''
Under Ko's bill, those who served in the military are able to receive up to two additional percentage points to their scores in exams to become civil servants or work at public firms, Hwang said.
The bill recommends private companies to use the system, but it is not mandatory, he said.
For example, if a man who served in active duty receives 50 points in an exam, he can get an additional one point.
Before the court's ruling, all men who served in active military duty could get an additional three to five percentage points unconditionally, on top of their original scores. For instance, a man who got 80 points could receive five additional points.
Though they failed in an exam, they could keep taking other exams with the fixed additional points.
This time, however, men will be able to receive the additional scores only three times under a Presidential decree, Hwang noted.
In addition, only 20 percent of applicants in an exam will be allowed the additional points, he said.
Previously, men who served in substitute duties such as civil support work and retired female officers did not benefit from the incentive system, but Ko's bill will be applicable to both on a graded point basis, the official added.
For most South Korean young men, the country's two-year-long compulsory military service is an unavoidable source of disruption as they must suspend their studies in college or quit their jobs.