Lee calls for selective conscription to build 'smart, elite military'

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for introducing a selective conscription system to address the decline in military-eligible personnel caused by the country's low birth rate, and said the armed forces must be comprehensively restructured into a "smart, elite military" centered on advanced technologies such as AI, drones and robots. He also ordered that improvements to the treatment of young junior officers be pursued with urgency.

Speaking at the opening of a senior secretaries meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said "the battlefield environment facing our military is changing rapidly, with AI, drones and robots at the center," and added that "a strategy to reorganize the defense system around technology and advanced equipment is essential to prepare for future warfare, in which vast amounts of information are analyzed in real time and cutting-edge weapons are deployed on a large scale."

He said that "due to the persistent low birth rate, maintaining the current inefficient, manpower-heavy, infantry-centered military structure is neither possible nor desirable," and said the government must "swiftly and thoroughly pursue defense reform — introducing a selective conscription system to transform our military into a smart, elite force built around advanced equipment and technology."

Lee also reiterated that consideration for the younger generation must go hand in hand with the defense reform process.

"What matters in this process is redesigning the system so that our young people, who are the backbone of national defense, can plan for a better life in the future," he said. "I hope we can put together detailed policies so that military service becomes a foundation for good jobs, quality education and stable asset building."

He added that "it is also a great responsibility of our government to ensure that military service is never seen as a waste of, or a setback in, one's life."

Lee also raised the issue of treatment for junior officers.

"I ask that improvements to the treatment of junior officers also be pursued swiftly and boldly," he said. "Ultimately, national defense is carried out by people. A truly strong military is built when young people find meaning in their service and when the military provides solid support for their entry into society."

He went on to urge the relevant ministries to "do your utmost to identify the necessary fiscal and institutional support policies and implement them as soon as possible."

The selective conscription system is a military service reform concept Lee has championed since his 2022 presidential election campaign. It would retain the basic framework of the current mandatory conscription system while allowing those subject to military service to choose between serving as short-term conscripts or as long-term, technology-focused combat noncommissioned officers specializing in fields such as AI, drones and cyber operations — a hybrid of conscription and voluntary enlistment.

After taking office, Lee formally called for accelerating defense reform, including the selective conscription system, at a meeting of senior commanders from all branches of the military held at the Ministry of National Defense in March, saying that "transitioning to a smart, elite military is essential to lead the future battlefield."