DAEJEON — Hong So-young, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, said on Oct. 12 that whether to scale back or abolish military service exemptions for athletes and artists is "under final review as part of the process of drawing up the basic plan for defense reform," adding that an announcement is "expected soon." Calls for changes to the system have grown after athletes competing at the Asian Games made inappropriate remarks about the exemptions, and lawmakers at a National Assembly Defense Committee audit repeatedly urged a revision of who qualifies and how far the exemptions extend.
Hong gave the response to a question from Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the Democratic Party of Korea during the parliamentary audit held at the agency's headquarters in the government complex in Daejeon, saying the administration "shares the same view as the Ministry of National Defense."
Hong said of the inappropriate remarks made by athletes competing at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games regarding the exemption system: "As commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, I find it deeply regrettable and unfortunate." Hong added, "We are taking seriously the sense of loss felt by young people who are serving in the military and the public's calls for the system to be improved."
Lawmakers from both the governing and opposition parties agreed on the need to overhaul the exemption system. Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the Democratic Party of Korea cited cases in which all participants in some arts competitions were Korean nationals, and proposed that "some international competitions held in Korea should be excluded from the exemptions."
Ways to involve women in military service to cope with a shrinking pool of conscripts also came up. Rep. Yoo Young-ha of the People Power Party said, "Social consensus is needed, along with various preparations such as restructuring military units for women's service, but please review options for women to serve in the military." Rep. Cheon Ha-ram of the Reform Party, describing the conscription of women as a "both-sex draft," argued that "rather than wringing out the male conscript pool like a dry towel, alternatives should also be considered from the standpoint of using manpower efficiently."
Hong responded that "rather than abruptly introducing conscription for women, the defense ministry and the Military Manpower Administration are building consensus while gradually raising the share of female officers."