Conscription in South Korea
The basis for military conscription in South Korea is the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, which was promulgated on July 17, 1948. The constitution states in Article 39, "All citizens shall have the duty of national defense under the conditions as prescribed by Act." The Military Service Act of 1949, which was implemented in 1957, specified that compulsory military service is required for men ages 19 or older. Conscription is managed by the Military Manpower Administration, which was created in 1948.
Korea Army Officer Candidate School
Between 1981 and 2014, over 48,273 candidates were enrolled in 59 KAOCS classes and were commissioned as Second Lieutenants. Now, five general officers, about 3,000 senior officers, and 10,000 Junior officers serve in the Republic of Korea Army. Brigadier General Hyun-suk Jeong (3rd class), Brigadier General Sang-yun Lee (6th class), Brigadier General Hyang-hyeok Bang (5th class), Brigadier General U-gyo Jeong (6th class), and Brigadier General Yong-moon Cho (5th class) are very famous.