Among military personnel, those with a foreign parent or who have resided abroad for an extended period are facing significant difficulties in military service, but the military authorities appear not to be managing this systematically.
The National Human Rights Commission expressed to the Ministry of National Defense the need to enhance multicultural education for troops and to assign appropriate tasks according to their adaptation levels.
◇ By 2030, more than 5% of the total military personnel will have multicultural backgrounds
The Human Rights Commission noted that based on the National Human Rights Commission Act, it visited 10 units from April to May and confirmed the difficulties faced by multicultural and overseas citizens in the military, as well as their fellow soldiers and officers.
The past Military Service Act stated, 'mixed-race individuals who are clearly identifiable by appearance will be regarded as subjects for the second national service exemption.' If one of the parents is a foreigner of non-Asian descent, their male children would be exempted from military service obligations. However, this clause was abolished on January 1, 2011, following amendments to the Military Service Act.
However, current military authorities have not tracked how many personnel have multicultural backgrounds, citing the reason that they treat them equally to general soldiers. Nonetheless, the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) estimated this year that there are about 4,400 multicultural soldiers and projected that the number would exceed 10,000 after 2030, meaning that more than 5% of the entire military personnel will have multicultural backgrounds.
As a result of interviews conducted by the Human Rights Commission, many multicultural soldiers and general soldiers as well as officers suggested that basic military statistics are needed for practical policy formation. The Human Rights Commission stated that there is a need to establish a system for understanding the current situation.
◇ 'Working at the guard post is unsuitable for soldiers lacking Korean language skills'
According to a survey by the Human Rights Commission, 56.3% of multicultural soldiers identified 'language barriers' as the biggest challenge they face during their military service. Among fellow soldiers, 61.1% also cited language barriers as a major difficulty faced by multicultural soldiers. Regarding the allocation of duties considering the backgrounds of multicultural soldiers, 48% of multicultural soldiers and 36.2% of fellow soldiers responded that it is 'necessary.'
However, the current assignment of soldiers to units and positions is based on physical examination results and certificates, without considering language proficiency. After assignment, adjustments to positions are made based on the judgment of commanders.
The Human Rights Commission said, 'For instance, working at a guard post to verify the identity of outsiders is difficult for soldiers who are not proficient in Korean,' adding, 'This can lower individual self-esteem and decrease the overall combat capability of the military.' It emphasized the need to review institutional improvements such as preparing a list of positions that require less language communication.
◇ A playful remark 'Nice to meet you' between seniors and juniors in a unit with a defector soldier
During the investigation, cases of discriminatory behavior towards multicultural soldiers were confirmed in some units. An officer used a racially discriminatory term, 'zhang X,' towards an overseas citizen soldier who had lived in China for an extended period.
A senior soldier joked with a junior soldier, saying 'Nice to meet you,' while mocking the North Korean army, although there was a soldier from a defector background in that unit.
An overseas citizen soldier who lived for an extended period in the United States expressed extreme psychological distress when a fellow soldier made gun-related jokes. This was due to the fact they came from a place where 'mass shootings' frequently occur.
When the Human Rights Commission asked multicultural soldiers whether there is education on preventing related discrimination in their units, only 12.7% responded that 'there is education.' Most soldiers stated they have no recollection of receiving education related to cultural diversity. The Human Rights Commission noted that educational content must be strengthened.
◇ The Army and Air Force grant additional leave to soldiers going to their homes abroad… unclear for the Navy
The Human Rights Commission's investigation revealed that there are no clear regulations on the additional leave days granted to soldiers whose parents' homes are abroad.
The Army and Air Force have regulations allowing additional leave days of up to 5 days for soldiers without connections in Korea traveling abroad to their homes. In contrast, the Navy and Marine Corps have not established clear additional standards for soldiers with foreign ties. As a result, discrepancies in additional leave assignments are occurring.
Additionally, the Ministry of National Defense regulates through directives that when foreign citizens or permanent residents voluntarily enlist as soldiers, they can receive travel expenses during leave. Soldiers who have resided long-term in countries without a permanent residency system can also receive travel expenses if they submit their enlistment application to the Military Manpower Administration, but there have been cases where they miss out on benefits due to not being aware of this system. Some soldiers stated, 'The airfare was a burden, so I gave up my leave.'
The Human Rights Commission expressed the need for the Navy and Marine Corps to clearly define their additional leave days and apply the travel expense directives flexibly.