Veterans minister vows to raise combat allowances, targets 1% budget share by 2030

Minister of Patriots and Veterans Kwon O-eul said Wednesday he will push to raise combat service allowances to a level veterans can meaningfully feel, in line with the principle of "special compensation for special sacrifice." He also set a target of increasing the veterans affairs budget to 1 percent of total government spending by 2030.

Speaking at the ministry's policy briefing Wednesday, Kwon said the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs is pursuing policy under the guiding principles of "veterans affairs for all, veterans affairs in daily life, and veterans affairs for unity," adding that support for combat veterans is "the ministry's most pressing current task."

Kwon cited the rise in a private first class's monthly pay from 680,000 won ($476) in 2022 to the current 2.05 million won, as well as the increase in the combat service honor allowance from 220,000 won per month in 2017 to 300,000 won in 2018. "We will work with the fiscal authorities to raise the combat allowance so that veterans can feel the difference on the ground," he said. He also asked President Lee Jae Myung to pay particular attention to the issue.

The ministry is also pursuing an expansion of the veterans affairs budget. Kwon said the veterans budget's share of total government spending had fallen from 1.28 percent in 2018 to 0.89 percent this year, and pledged to bring it back up to 1 percent by 2030.

Support for discharged service members will be strengthened under a division of roles in which the Defense Ministry handles active-duty personnel and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs takes over after discharge. With roughly 230,000 troops completing their service each year, the ministry plans to extend eligibility for youth policy benefits by the length of each person's military service and to factor service time into public-sector pay-grade and wage calculations.

In veterans healthcare, the ministry will expand the number of contracted medical institutions — currently 1,025 — by 200 each year, and will newly designate 13 traditional Korean medicine clinics in October. Veterans hospitals will also introduce AI-based services including early risk prediction systems and smart wards.

Proactive outreach to veterans was also highlighted as a key priority. The ministry plans to increase the number of independence movement merit citations this year to 600, and will review and pursue posthumous honors for approximately 3,800 people whose contributions have been recognized but who were never decorated due to unknown whereabouts. Korean War soldiers with no surviving relatives buried in national cemeteries, and May 18 pro-democracy movement honorees who died without family, will be officially registered by the government on its own authority.

A living support allowance for elderly, low-income combat veterans' spouses — introduced in March — has drawn applications from about 11,000 of the roughly 17,000 eligible recipients. The ministry said it will proactively seek out those who are unaware of the program or have difficulty applying.

Expanded compensation for descendants of independence movement figures will also move forward in earnest. "Instead of the saying that joining the independence movement ruins three generations of a family, we have reformed the system so that three generations are compensated," Kwon said. "Even if descendants are four or six generations removed, we have ensured that at least two generations can receive compensation." The ministry is also preparing follow-up measures — including the designation of pro-democracy cemeteries as nationally managed sites and the provision of medical and care support — should the Democratic Martyr Act pass the National Assembly floor.

On the international front, the ministry is working to ensure a successful hosting of the Invictus Games in Daejeon in 2029. As the first Asian host of the event, South Korea aims to raise the profile of its veterans affairs model and broaden veterans cooperation across Asia. The ministry also plans to strengthen veterans diplomacy by linking overseas heritage sites, including the memorial hall for independence activist Lee Tae-jun in Mongolia.

Kwon said the ministry will develop Hyochang Park into a landmark space embodying the history and symbolism of the independence movement. Plans also call for expanding hands-on veterans education — in which newly hired civil servants and middle and high school students visit sites such as the Independence Hall, the War Memorial and pro-democracy cemeteries — as well as widening overseas heritage tour programs.

The ministry has scrapped plans to sell the 88 Country Club, a revenue-generating asset of the veterans welfare fund, and will instead raise profitability by adding nine holes and building a park golf course. The ministry aims to increase annual revenue from the club — which averaged 12.9 billion won over the past five years — to more than 15 billion won, with proceeds directed toward welfare support for national merit holders.