Categories of Military service, Determination of Physical Grade and disposition of Military service in Republic of Korea

 ■ Categories of Military Service(Article 5 of ROK Military Service Act)

1. Preliminary Military Service(Korean: 병역준비역)

- Liable for Military Service Person(Not Active duty Service, Reserve Service, Supplementry Service, or Wartime Labor Service)

Note: Before 2016 1st Citizen Service(Korean: 제1국민역)

2. Active duty(Korean: 현역)

2-1. Enlisted Men(Draft or Volunteering)

2-2. Officers, WO, NCO, Officer cadets Appointed or Selected to serve on Active duty

3. Reserve Service(Korean: 예비역)

- Completed Active duty Service

4. Supplementary Service(Korean: 보충역)

4-1.

4-2. Any of the following persons, who are performing or have completed their service or mandatory service

- Social Service Personnel(Korean: 사회복무요원)

5. Wartime labor Service(Korean: 전시근로역)

- incapable of performing active duty service or supplementary service as a result of a conscription physical examination or a physical examination, but to be capable of wartime labor(military support affairs etc)

Note: Before 2016 2nd Citizen Service(Korean: 제2국민역)

■ Determination of Physical Grade and Disposition of Military Service(Article 12 and 14 of ROK Military Service Act)

1. Grade I, II, III, IV: Active duty, Supplementry Service, Wartime Labor Service

- Those whose physical is healthy enough to peform service(Active duty or Supplementary Service)

- Military Disposition(Active duty, Supplementry Service, Wartime Labor Service) is based on their Educational Background, age and Qualifications(Health, Exconvict, etc)

- Grade I, II and III is Active duty, Grade IV is Supplementary Service(As of 1998 to 2003, High School Graduate) by internal rule(Administrative rule of Military Manpower Administration)

- Exconvict(based on Criminal Record): Imprisonment for least 6 months up to below 1 year and 6 months is Supplementary Service, Imprisonment for least 1 year and 6 months is Wartime Labor Service

2. Grade V: Wartime Labor Service

3. Grade VI: Exemption for Military Service

4. Grade VII: Subject to Re-Physical Examination

■ Exconvict and Disposition of Military Service(Article 136 of ROK Enforcement Decree of Military Service Act)

- Disposition of Military Service for Exconvict is based on Criminal Record.

- Imprisonment for least 6 months up to below 1 year and 6 months: Supplementary Service

- Imprisonment for least 1 year and 6 months: Wartime Labor Service

- Imprisonment for least 6 years: expunged from the Military Register(a de facto Exemption for Military Service)

Note: Exconvicts Caused by Wilful Body Injuried etc(Aricle 86 of ROK Military Service Act) is Excluded from Supplementary Service and Wartime Labor Service(After November 2011)

■ Disposition of Military Service for Educational background and Physical Grade(After 2014)

Educational Background	Physical Grade
	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII
Being College or above	Active duty			Supplementary Service	Wartime Labor Service	Exemption for Military Service	Subject to  Re-Physical Examination
High school graduate
High School Dropout or below	Supplementary Service
Middle School graduate
Middle School Dropout or below