The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has called for expanding the upper age limit for military academy admissions.
The commission announced Wednesday that it submitted an opinion to the National Assembly Speaker on January 2 regarding two pending bills — amendments to the Military Academy Establishment Act and the Armed Forces Nursing Academy Establishment Act — recommending that "the upper age limit for admission should be raised to under 25."
Under the current system, most military academies including the Korea Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Armed Forces Nursing Academy restrict admission ages to "17 or older and under 21" in principle. Only military veterans are allowed extended age limits as exceptions under presidential decree.
The commission noted that "the qualities and capabilities required of officers cannot necessarily be determined by age." It also determined that restricting applicants' qualifications based solely on age criteria lacks reasonable justification, given that various selection procedures including physical fitness tests and interviews already exist.
The commission also cited examples of foreign military academies relaxing or abolishing age restrictions. The U.S. Military Academy, Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy set the upper age limit at 23, while Germany's Bundeswehr University has no separate statutory age limit for admission.
Accordingly, the commission stated that "considering the Military Personnel Management Act sets the maximum age for second lieutenant commissioning at 29, it is appropriate to raise the military academy admission age limit to under 25."
"Expanding the military academy admission age limit can guarantee citizens' right to hold public office and contribute to securing talented individuals with diverse experiences and capabilities," the commission said. "The related bills need to be processed promptly to reflect this intent."
