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All military conscripts to receive pre-enlistment screenings starting in July

Published: 26 Jun. 2025, 14:51 Updated: 26 Jun. 2025, 17:28

A conscript receives military service examination for active duty at the 1st Military Service Examination Center of the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on Jan. 13. [NEWS1]

Conscripts entering not only the Army but also the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps will now undergo pre-enlistment medical and psychological screenings by the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) to determine their fitness for service.

The MMA announced on Thursday the full-scale implementation of its pre-enlistment screening system, which aims to prevent the inconvenience caused by repeated cases of conscripts being sent home after enlistment.

The program, which has been in pilot operation since 2021 for Army conscripts, will expand to include all military branches starting in July.

Previously, the MMA would assess conscripts’ service eligibility including active duty, supplementary service and other considerations, and then each military unit would conduct another physical examination after enlistment to verify service suitability.

If health issues were discovered at that stage, conscripts were sent home, often requiring a second medical exam and re-enlistment process — a cumbersome and disruptive experience.

The pre-enlistment screening system eliminates this redundancy. Before enlistment, the MMA conducts comprehensive exams and psychological evaluations, at a level comparable to those of general hospitals, to assess fitness for military service.

The screenings use advanced medical equipment and professional staff.

New conscripts to the Army salute their families and those in attendance at a conscription ceremony at the Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong, on May 26. [YONHAP]

During the four-year pilot program, which examined 210,000 prospective Army conscripts, 11,000 individuals, or 5.3 percent, were preemptively identified as unfit for service. This prevented unnecessary enlistments and saved time, while helping young people avoid disruptions to their academic or career plans.

The change also allows each military branch to reduce the burden of physical assessments and focus more on basic training and recruit management, improving personnel efficiency.

The pre-enlistment screening currently covers nine subjects and 59 items across 37 categories. The psychological component uses a four-tier evaluation system that can detect vulnerabilities even in individuals without a history of mental health treatment.

The MMA expects to screen approximately 150,000 people this year and 200,000 next year. To accommodate the increase, a new facility — the No. 2 Military Service Judgment Center under the Gyeongin Regional MMA — has been established, capable of handling up to 220 examinees per day.

“The full implementation of pre-enlistment screening allows young people to assess their health in advance, receive necessary treatment, and enter military service with confidence in their well-being,” said MMA Commissioner Kim Jong-chul. “We will continue refining the system and expanding infrastructure to ensure its successful establishment.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]