Kang Hoon-sik calls for faster military service record system, urges social safety net overhaul for AI era

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik on Wednesday called for an overhaul of the system for issuing military service certificates and other defense-related documents, saying the process is too cumbersome and often takes days to complete.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong conveyed Kang's remarks in a written briefing on a senior secretaries' meeting chaired by the chief of staff that day.

"Young people who need military service certificates for job applications or professional licensing feel this inconvenience especially acutely," Kang said. He directed the Ministry of National Defense to improve the relevant systems as soon as possible so that such certificates can be obtained more easily and quickly.

Kang also spoke about the newly established Youth Affairs Secretariat within Cheong Wa Dae. "We have set up the Youth Affairs Secretariat directly under the chief of staff and it has begun full operations," he said, adding that he hopes the office will interpret issues from a youth perspective, stay attuned to future changes and connect those insights to the broader work of government.

Regarding the Cheong Wa Dae Youth Fellowship, which recently opened applications, Kang said he expects participants to serve as a "sensor" that detects changes and problems the government might miss through its conventional lens, and as a "speaker" that conveys in the language of young people how government policy actually plays out in their lives.

Kang also said a stronger social safety net is urgently needed to meet the challenges of the AI era. "The AI era will bring opportunities in economic growth and administrative service innovation, but it will also pose serious challenges — job losses and deepening inequality," he said. "South Korea faces worsening employment insecurity among young people and a growing share of workers, including platform workers, who fall outside existing support systems. We need a more comprehensive social safety net."

He said the government is actively reviewing universal support programs for children, youth, artists, farmers and fishers, and the self-employed, but cautioned that welfare policy must be designed with long-term sustainability as the top priority and must not pass an excessive burden to future generations.

Kang said a comprehensive redesign of the existing social safety net is urgently needed. He asked each senior secretariat office at Cheong Wa Dae to work with related ministries, local governments, and public and private research institutions to develop a medium- to long-term roadmap for a Korean-style universal support system that fully reflects the voices of the people, with future generations at its center.