The military is essential to the national security of all nations. This is particularly true for South Korea, given its numerous daunting security challenges. The intensifying geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, North Korea’s continued nuclear missile provocations, and various forms of newly emerging non-traditional security threats are calling for South Korea’s military defense posture and readiness more than ever. Yet the South Korean military, presumed to be the world’s 5th military power, is currently facing a number of its own internal problems due to the increasing unpopularity of its military academies, while the country’s population available for conscription continues to decrease and the career of an armed profession seems no longer attractive to the young generation. Requiring renewed attention, South Korean military academies underlooked problems should be comprehensively addressed to ensure the resilience and capability of its own military.

The most common problem taking place in South Korea’s five major military academies is their declining enrollment numbers and increasing dropout rates of cadets. Available statistics confirm this problem. In recent years, the competition rate for admission to the Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon dropped from 44.4:1 to 28.9:1 in just three years alone. For the Korea Naval Academy, this rate has plummeted to 18.7:1 in 2023 from 38.5:1 in 2019. Similarly, the Korea Air Force Academy witnessed a 60.3 percent increase in dropout rates between 2019 and 2023, while 48.9 percent of the Korea Military Academy’s total number of dropouts came from its first-year cadets. The primary factor behind these numbers is largely attributed to the growing unpopularity of these academies, as once highly valued careers of military officers are no longer attractive to the young generation.

Why have these academies become so unpopular lately? Insufficient compensation and benefits provided to officers have not kept pace with those offered in other professional occupations, making military careers less attractive. Enhancing financial incentives are considered the game changer to curtail this declining trend in military academies. Raising salaries, improving housing conditions, and increasing stipends for military officers will make these military academies more appealing for those aspiring to serve their nation. South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, for example, has begun to implement a “prestige maintenance allowance” to attract more officers. It is critical that the overall conditions of service be improved so that military academies can regain their original popularity.

Another major issue among South Korean military academies includes their politics-driven core academic curriculum. Historically, these academies were founded with the purpose of educating and cultivating well-rounded officers with a deep understanding of both military strategy and national security. In recent years, however, there have been frequent changes made to their curriculum, which has invited a heated public debate.

During the administration of liberal President Moon Jae-in who sought out an improved relation with North Korea, such core curriculum as North Korea Studies and Korean War were eliminated from the course catalog of the Korea Military Academy in Seoul, as Pyongyang was temporarily not identified as its enemy. Soon after conservative President Yoon Seok-yeol came into power in 2022, however, these courses became required again for graduation, reinforcing patriotism in cadets. This type of variation in education has fluctuated the quality of education cadets receive and undermined the academies’ ability to prepare future elite officers.

In addition to these curriculum changes, the Korea Military Academy (KMA) was at the center of a heated debate in 2023 over the issue of removing busts of Korea’s historic independence fighters on its campus. The Academy’s move came as part of an effort to protect liberal democracy, but school officials received criticisms as doing so indicated the academy’s propensity toward a particular political view.

South Korean military academies are also facing another challenge in terms of helping to construct the country’s future military forces, as many of its graduates become the leaders of the army: retaining talents despite limited opportunities for career progression and inadequate support for post- military transitions. The structure of the South Korean military has often created barriers to promotions in the military, discouraging officers with less likelihood of advancement to higher ranks. However, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has recently begun addressing these post-military transitions, but many officers still struggle to find rewarding career paths outside the military.

The key problem is that their specialized skills from the military are not always easily transferable to other civilian jobs, compounded by a societal perception that often undervalues military service in comparison to other professional occupations. The combination of limited career mobility and societal attitudes further diminishes the attractiveness of military service in South Korea.

South Korea has recently begun to implement several initiatives aimed at improving career progression and post-military transitions. The Ministry of National Defense, for example, has expanded training programs in such high-demand areas as cybersecurity, AI, and strategic planning, providing officers with specialized certifications to enhance their skill sets. Similarly, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs started to offer career counseling and retraining programs for retiring officers and issued a “Patriots and Veterans Registration Card” as of June 2023 for soldiers with more than five years of service experience. Partnerships with public institutions and private companies, including preferential hiring agreements, have been established to facilitate civilian employment as well. These efforts are further complemented by South Korea’s Defense Reform 2.0 initiative, which emphasizes professional development, modernized leadership training, and transparent promotion systems to retain the outflow of military talents.

The challenges faced by South Korea’s military academy have far-reaching implications for the country’s national security. Declining enrollment rates, inconsistent educational standards, and limited career opportunities threaten the military’s ability to fulfill its central role in defending the nation. Comprehensive policy support from different constituents in South Korea is essential, as these academies have historically played a significant role in producing the leaders of the South Korean defense. The issues of the military academies also signal broader concerns for South Korea’s national security moving forward, as a weakened South Korean military, accompanied by the shortage of officers, may impact collective defense strategies and posture of the country. Restoring their prestige and effectiveness is not only a matter of institutional reform but a national imperative. Attracting and retaining talented individuals to military academies will remain as one of the most significant tasks for the South Korean military in the coming years.