South Korean Lawmaker Proposes Bills to Shorten Service for Qualified Health Professionals

Lee Kwang‑hee, a member of the Democratic Party representing Cheongju Seowon‑gu, submitted five amendment bills that would substantially shorten the mandatory service period for personnel who fulfill their military duty using professional qualifications. The proposals cover amendments to the Military Service Act, the Military Personnel Act, the Public Interest Legal Officer Act, the Public Health Veterinarian Act, and a partial amendment to the Special Measures Act for health care in rural areas. Under current law, public health doctors, military medical‑exam doctors, public interest legal officers, public health veterinarians, and short‑term officer roles are required to serve for three years, with the initial military training period not counted separately. By contrast, regular active‑duty soldiers serve for 18 months. The new bills aim to significantly reduce the service length for these qualified professionals, though specific reduction details were not provided in the source material.