ID :
188339
Tue, 06/14/2011 - 06:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/188339
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea to beef up welfare for military officers
(ATTN: INCORPORATES military hospitals-privatization)
SEOUL, June 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is working on a plan to significantly beef up housing, medical and other welfare programs for career military officers as part of its defense reform drive, a presidential official said Tuesday.
"A key part of defense reform is to strengthen welfare" measures, the official said on condition of anonymity as a formal announcement has not been made. "Strengthening welfare for career officers is very important in boosting the war-fighting capabilities and morale of the military."
Reforming the military has been one of the top policy goals of the government of President Lee Myung-bak. Calls for reform have spiked after the military bungled its response to the North's two deadly attacks last year.
The defense reform program, now under way, focuses on altering the military's command structure in a more efficient way. As soon as the project is completed, the next round of reform will focus on enhancing welfare programs for military officers, the official said.
The program is expected to call for providing greater housing, medical and education benefits.
Officials at the presidential office have been in talks with officials of the defense ministry and the military about improving welfare programs for officers, sources said. The military has recently launched a survey of what benefits should take higher priority, they said.
In a related move, senior presidential security aide Chun Yung-woo said Monday that the government is considering privatizing or having civilian experts run military hospitals in an effort to significantly upgrade their capabilities and services.
The remark came after a series of revelations that military medical staff mishandled patients, including diagnosing symptoms of inflammation in the brain, known as encephalomeningitis, as those of a cold, which led to the death of a new conscript.
"Parents who send their children to the military shouldn't be worried about the level of military medical services or misdiagnosis," Chun said during a meeting Monday with exemplary noncommissioned officers. "Military medical institutions of the Republic of Korea should be at the top level."
By law, all physically fit South Korean men must serve in the military for about two years.
Privatizing military hospitals or commissioning civilian experts to operate them are among the measures under consideration to upgrade the institutions to the level of top civilian hospitals, such as Samsung Medical Center or Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Chun said.
jschang@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, June 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is working on a plan to significantly beef up housing, medical and other welfare programs for career military officers as part of its defense reform drive, a presidential official said Tuesday.
"A key part of defense reform is to strengthen welfare" measures, the official said on condition of anonymity as a formal announcement has not been made. "Strengthening welfare for career officers is very important in boosting the war-fighting capabilities and morale of the military."
Reforming the military has been one of the top policy goals of the government of President Lee Myung-bak. Calls for reform have spiked after the military bungled its response to the North's two deadly attacks last year.
The defense reform program, now under way, focuses on altering the military's command structure in a more efficient way. As soon as the project is completed, the next round of reform will focus on enhancing welfare programs for military officers, the official said.
The program is expected to call for providing greater housing, medical and education benefits.
Officials at the presidential office have been in talks with officials of the defense ministry and the military about improving welfare programs for officers, sources said. The military has recently launched a survey of what benefits should take higher priority, they said.
In a related move, senior presidential security aide Chun Yung-woo said Monday that the government is considering privatizing or having civilian experts run military hospitals in an effort to significantly upgrade their capabilities and services.
The remark came after a series of revelations that military medical staff mishandled patients, including diagnosing symptoms of inflammation in the brain, known as encephalomeningitis, as those of a cold, which led to the death of a new conscript.
"Parents who send their children to the military shouldn't be worried about the level of military medical services or misdiagnosis," Chun said during a meeting Monday with exemplary noncommissioned officers. "Military medical institutions of the Republic of Korea should be at the top level."
By law, all physically fit South Korean men must serve in the military for about two years.
Privatizing military hospitals or commissioning civilian experts to operate them are among the measures under consideration to upgrade the institutions to the level of top civilian hospitals, such as Samsung Medical Center or Asan Medical Center in Seoul, Chun said.
jschang@yna.co.kr
(END)
