South Korean President Lee Jae Myung Announces Shift to Professional Military and Tech‑Intensive NCO Track

President Lee Jae Myung visited a front‑line Marine Corps unit on Yeonpyeong Island, near the Northern Limit Line, where he inspected weapons systems, fired a rifle and toured a K9 self‑propelled howitzer. During the visit he renewed his pledge to reduce South Korea’s reliance on conscription, increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP and overhaul the armed forces into a future‑oriented, professional force.

The defence ministry also announced a new non‑commissioned officer track focused on advanced technology such as unmanned systems, cyber operations and artificial intelligence. The “tech‑intensive” NCOs would serve four to five years and be part of a broader “selective voluntary enlistment” system intended to raise the proportion of career service members to 63% by 2040 while cutting the share of conscripts to 37%. The reforms aim to attract more young people to a professional military career and link their high‑tech experience to civilian opportunities after discharge.