It has been confirmed that the Military Manpower Administration changed 10 people it had classified as supplementary service (social service agents) in physical examinations back to active-duty service. The Military Manpower Administration said it was the responsible doctor's mistake, but the controversy is spreading as the person involved has filed an administrative lawsuit.
On the 15th, according to reporting by ChosunBiz, a man in his 20s, identified as A, was classified for supplementary service in a physical examination at the Daejeon-Chungnam Regional Military Manpower Administration in September 2024 due to a spinal condition and other issues. However, the following year the Military Manpower Administration notified A that he would be reclassified as eligible for active-duty service.
A submitted a statement asking that the original classification be maintained, but it was not accepted. In the end, the Daejeon-Chungnam Regional Military Manpower Administration reclassified A as grade 3 in the physical examination last May and notified A as eligible for active duty. The decision was reversed eight months after the supplementary service classification.
In the notice sent to A, the Military Manpower Administration said, "There is no fault on (A's) part," but noted that "the public interest in making accurate physical grade determinations and military service dispositions, and in ensuring equal fulfillment of military duty, is greater."
A filed an administrative suit against the Military Manpower Administration's disposition, saying that plans premised on enlisting as a social service agent had fallen through. The first hearing is scheduled to be held in June.
The Military Manpower Administration said it conducted a reclassification after confirming during an internal review that the responsible doctor made a judgment error. The doctor should have consulted a radiology reading in the process of determining the spinal condition but omitted it, it was found. The Military Manpower Administration said it took personnel action against the doctor under the relevant regulations.
The problem is that A's case is not the only one. In its internal review, the Military Manpower Administration identified nine more cases where a social service agent classification was canceled and the person was reclassified to active duty. Some of those involved are already enlisted and serving, according to reports. By contrast, there have been no cases reported of someone serving as a social service agent being reclassified back to active duty.
This is not the first time a military service disposition has been reversed. In 2024, at the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional Military Manpower Administration, there was a case where a person classified for social service enlisted as an active-duty soldier and served for six months. In 2023, it also came to light that some people classified for social service had enlisted as active-duty soldiers or had already been discharged.
Under case law, the Military Manpower Administration may change a physical examination classification if there is a recognized public interest need. However, critics say that the more similar cases are repeated, the more trust in military service classifications could be undermined.
An official at the Military Manpower Administration said, "We discovered the erroneous classifications during an internal review, and the verification process took time," adding, "We have improved the computer system to prevent the same problem from occurring in the future."