Korean military seeks to standardize combat uniforms

The Korean military plans to standardize combat uniforms by measuring incoming soldiers. / Yonhap

By Hong Dam-young

Korea’s military combat uniforms will take on a new aspect through big data analysis.

The military will launch a big data research project to develop a “standardized combat uniform” for newly enlisted soldiers.

The uniform will be based on data accrued from regularly analyzing and measuring bodies, according to Yonhap news agency.

“We will measure every incoming soldier’s body sizes regularly from now on, which will provide us with accumulated data to standardize a combat uniform,” a military official said on Monday.

“The data will also be used for predicting an optimal uniform size for newly enlisted soldiers.”

The data will yield higher accuracy than manual measurement, because bodies will be examined in three dimensions.

“If the results of the project are applicable, we would be able to produce the uniforms in a more efficient way and reduce production costs,” the official said.

The military also plans to collect data on how much electricity, water and oil are used each. Analyzing the use would enable the military to save money and to develop an optimum model.

“We are doing a big-data analysis on the results of practices such as shooting and physical tests that are carried out in the field or at the Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC),” the official said. “A manual might be updated according to the result.”

The Korean military has been using various computerized systems, but in-depth research about how best to use the data has so far not been carried out.

The military plans to finish developing the system by the end of the year and to begin measuring soldiers next year.