Social service personnel
The Social Service Personnel (Korean: 사회복무요원, 社會服務要員) is a system of compulsory employment in South Korea. It is the country's largest type of transitional and alternative civilian service system. It opened on January 1, 1995. Originally called Public Service Personnel (Korean: 공익근무요원, 公益勤務要員), it was renamed in 2013 due to an amendment to the military service act.
South Korean government is progressing with the Conscription. It examines every South Korean male citizen's Physical (South Korea doesn't draft its female citizens) to see if they are qualified to serve in the military. It classifies draftees from Physical grades 1 to 6 based on their physical, and mental condition. According to the South Korean Military Service Act, physical grades 1 to 4 are Subject to Active or Supplementary service.[1] Subjects to Active or Supplementary service are classified according to the annual conscription examination notice issued by the MMA, usually Grade 1, 2 and 3 are qualified to serve in the active military. Grade 4 are disqualified from service in the active military, and qualified for Supplementary service(call-up to social service) because of their physical or mental limitations.
History[edit]
Prior to 1995, the system was called Bangwibyeong(ko:방위병). The current social service agent was a Bangwibyeong. Later, the Bangwibyeong was abolished, creating a Public Service Personnel(공익근무요원) system.
In 2012, the term Public Service Personnel was deleted, and the administrator's clerk was replaced with the Social Service Personnel(사회복무요원). The international cooperation agency[2] and the art and physical education agency among Public Service Personnel were separated under the Social Service Personnel system.[3]
The Social Service Personnel's five-day training course (after three weeks of basic military training) was implemented as a camp in 2015. The place is Social Service Training Center in Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do(충청북도 보은군), which also lasts five days, over 44 hours.
Compensation[edit]
Social Service Personnel get little pay. Second jobs are prohibited until the worker documents their needs and is granted a job permit. The salary paid to Social Service Personnel in accounting is basically the same as for those on active duty. Only lunch and some transportation are able to be expensed and only on work days.
As of 2018, the monthly salary was 300,000-400,000 won complemented by a small lunch fee. For reference, the minimum cost of living for one person in 2017 was 991,759 won.
A double-employment permit system is available for socially disadvantaged workers, although this is similar to compulsory double labour for socially disadvantaged workers.
The Constitutional Court ruled that active duty soldiers be provided with ritual stocks from the military and that the military can allow salaries below the minimum wage (2011헌마307).
In April 2017, former Social Service Personnel "Lee da-hoon (21 years old) said, "The current Social Service Personnel's remuneration system is significantly below the minimum cost of living, violating the right to equality, property rights, and human life." The Constitutional Court of Korea issued the Constitutional Court of Korea (2017헌마374), and for the first time in the history of the Republic of Korea, the Constitutional Court for the remuneration of Social Service Personnel was referred to the Institutional Psychology.[4]
Form of service[edit]
According to the service organization and service field, it is divided into day work, day and night work, and camp work. Day work is performed from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays. Night duty is performed according to the duty schedule previously negotiated by the service director.
Absent four weeks of basic military training, Social Service Personnel are authorized to perform civil service instead. Social Service Personnel can request a new worksite after one year of service or to escape corruption or in a hardship position.
Social Service Personnel work in social service, health/medicine, education, environmental safety or administration.
This sector is mostly responsible for the care of disabled children or the elderly with dementia. The environmental safety sector is responsible for managing facilities such as reservoirs and sewage.
Social Service Personnel working for the National Intelligence Service in administration must pass through a competitive screening. Once stationed, if they leak work details, they can be sentenced to imprisonment.
Benefits[edit]
Social Service Personnel have five categories of time off from work, including annual leave, sick leave, compassionate leave, emergency leave and official holidays.
Discipline[edit]
Warnings can be issued by the head of the service agency. In this case, the duty period is extended by five days per warning. After receiving more than 7 warnings, Social Service Personnel can be charged with violating the conscription law, and sentenced to imprisonment. Days spent incarcerated do not count toward the duty period.
Service period by type[edit]
Social Service Personnel enrolled after January 1, 2011, serve for 2 years. Soldiers and police officers' son/brother may serve six months as 'Social Service Personnel' even if they are above grade six.
Education[edit]
Basic military training[edit]
Conscripts enrolled as a Social Service Personnel receive three weeks of basic military training at the Army Training Center, the Homeland Division, the Jeju Defense Command or the Naval Education Command. Conscripts whose period of military training received from an educational institution exceeds basic military education and do not receive military training.[6]
Post deployment training[edit]
Training carried out after deployment includes remunerated education and job training. Social Service Personnel who have completed education receive further training by other Social Service Personnel. Refinement education is a five-day camp under the auspices of the local Military Manpower Administration, which conducts job training after basic military training and the termination of refinement education. The head of the relevant central administrative agency conducts the training. The Korea Fire Service provides job training for one week at the central fire school after placement.[6]