South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration (MMA) has announced it will conduct a unified recruitment process for six Army technical-administrative specialties, totaling over 7,600 positions for those enlisting in 2026.
– Pilot implementation includes six specialties, such as armored vehicle driving and CBR decontamination
– Applications accepted from July 7 to July 17, with final results announced in October
According to the MMA (Commissioner Kim Jong Cheol), applications will be accepted via its official website (www.mma.go.kr) from 2:00 p.m. on July 7 to 2:00 p.m. on July 17 for six Army specialties for those entering service in 2026.
* Specialties: Armored Vehicle Driver, K-55 Self-Propelled Howitzer Driver, K-9 Self-Propelled Howitzer Driver, CBR (Chemical, Biological, Radiological) Decontamination, Wheeled Armored Vehicle Driver, General Medic
* MMA Website → Military Service Application Guide → Fill/Modify/Cancel Application → Unified Application Form
Until now, applicants for Army technical-administrative roles could apply monthly and enlist three months later. However, the first half of the year typically saw a surge in applications, while the second half suffered from low recruitment rates, making balanced year-round personnel management difficult.
To address this, the MMA has decided to pilot a new system that selects all enlistees for the six designated specialties for the entire 2026 intake period in advance. This aims to establish a more predictable and structured recruitment system that will benefit both the military’s personnel planning and applicants’ long-term scheduling.
Applicants must choose both a desired specialty and preferred enlistment month(s) (1st to 3rd choice). The 1st and 2nd choices must include at least one month from either the first or second half of the year. If the applicant consents, the 3rd choice may be randomly assigned to an underfilled month.
Eligibility is limited to those aged 18 to 28 (born between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2007), who are classified as active-duty service candidates with physical grades 1 through 4. Applicants must also meet the individual requirements for each specialty, including licenses, academic background, and physical standards. Those who have not yet undergone a physical examination are still eligible to apply. However, candidates selected in the first round without a prior exam must undergo a medical evaluation on a designated date and at a location specified by the local MMA office.
Further details can be found on the MMA’s official website, or by contacting the Military Service Call Center (☎1588-9090) or regional MMA offices. The MMA will publish additional information, including specific recruitment numbers by specialty and enlistment month, at the end of June.
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