Can gov't raise reservist pay beyond $64?

Reservists line up to register for training at a reserve forces training center in Seocho District, Seoul, March 2, 2023. Korea Times file

The Korean government is moving to overhaul the compensation structure for its millions of military reservists, following years of criticism that mandatory service pay has failed to keep pace with the nation’s rising cost of living.

Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, directed the Ministry of National Defense earlier this week to modernize the reserve training system and explore raising mobilization pay to at least the minimum wage. The directive comes as the disparity between military stipends and civilian earnings reaches a breaking point for young men forced to balance careers with national defense obligations.

For Kim Dong-young, 28, the gap between duty and compensation is a matter of simple math. Last year, Kim spent four days commuting between his home in Hwaseong and a training site in Pyeongtaek — a grueling daily round trip. He said the stipend barely paid for the fuel used to get there.

“I carpooled with a friend, spending about two hours a day commuting round trip,” Kim said.

For his four days of service, he received 72,000 won ($48). Had he worked those same hours at Korea's current minimum wage of 10,320 won per hour, he would have earned approximately 281,000 won.

“The money is nowhere near enough,” Kim said. “It doesn’t even cover gas for the commute. It barely pays for a meal.”

Kim’s experience is a snapshot of a broader systemic failure in South Korea’s defense logistics. While the military relies on a massive pool of reservists to maintain its readiness against threats from North Korea, the financial burden of that readiness has fallen increasingly on individuals themselves.

“Even if full compensation is difficult, unjustifiable treatment of those who devoted their youth to national security must be improved,” Kang said, adding that progress for reservists has lagged behind improvements for active-duty troops.

Reservists receive assault rifles at the Seongbuk District Office in Seoul, April 5, 2023. Korea Times file

With about 2.56 million reservists, Korea maintains one of the world’s largest reserve forces. Men who complete active duty are required to undergo annual training for six years after discharge, with the frequency and type of sessions varying by unit assignment and years of service.

Reservists in their first through fourth years after discharge are required to complete annual training, either through Type 1 mobilization exercises — a three-day, two-night program at wartime mobilization units — or Type 2 training, which involves four days of commuting to reserve training centers.

This year, Type 1 pay rose from 82,000 won to 95,000 won, while Type 2 pay increased from 40,000 won to 50,000 won. Actual compensation varies by individual, depending on factors such as transportation allowances tied to the distance between home and the training site.

But many reservists say the pay falls far short of what the training demands.

Han Jun-gu, a 26-year-old photojournalist, said he earned about 13,000 won a day during four days of reserve training last year.

“They’d be better off paying nothing at all. It feels like mockery,” Han said.

Members of Senior Army, a Defense Ministry-affiliated incorporated association, undergo reserve training at a training center in Seocho District, Seoul, Nov. 3, 2023. Courtesy of Senior Army

The reserve forces have become central to South Korea’s national defense as the country grapples with shrinking personnel in both its standing armed forces and younger age cohorts.

The population in their 20s fell by 193,000 in 2024 from the previous year to 6.3 million — the smallest number among adult age groups — according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

The size of the standing armed forces has also declined, falling by about 110,000 over six years, from 560,000 in 2019 to 450,000 last year.

At last year’s parliamentary audit, the Ministry of National Defense said it would expand the use of civilians and reservists to offset shrinking personnel.

The ministry also released a policy document to gradually increase the Active Reserve Force, a system that recruits volunteers for peacetime call-ups and training and mobilizes them into the same roles in wartime, from about 3,700 to 50,000 by 2040.

The use of older adults in military roles is also under review.

In 2023, Senior Army, a civilian reserve group affiliated with the Defense Ministry, was launched. The group specifically manages people aged 55 to 75 as an emergency mobilization resource.

Last year, the National Assembly Secretariat said assigning perimeter guard duties to people in their 50s and 60s with prior military service could ease troop shortages in the short term.