By Kwak Yeon-soo
Salaries for enlisted soldiers will be raised by 87.8 percent starting this month, according to the Ministry of National Defense, Thursday.
According to the new pay system, the monthly salary for a sergeant will go from 216,000 won to 405,700 won, and pay for a private, from 163,000 won to 306,100 won.
The pay raise of enlisted soldiers was one of President Moon Jae-in’s campaign pledges. The government aims to increase the salary gradually to 676,100 won for a sergeant by 2022 and 510,100 won for a private, with the aim of helping soldiers save some money before being discharged.
“If the salary is hiked as planned by 2022, soldiers will be able to save around 6 million won by the time they are discharged, which is about the tuition for one semester at college,” a ministry official said.