The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), a college-based officer commissioning program in Korea since 1963, is a restricted zone that female students cannot even think of applying since the application is only open to male university students. However, there is a possibility that female students can also join the ROTC as officers, though this is not confirmed yet.
  The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that the inquiry regarding the recruitment of female students as officers is under serious consideration. This answer from the ministry was a part of the document given to the Rep. Kim Ok-lee of the ruling Grand National Party for the parliamentary inspection of the administration on October 6.
The idea of allowing female students to join the ROTC cadets will be reviewed carefully, along with the minister’s attempts to adopt new recruitment system for the ROTC by 2014, from current university-based system to a region-based system.
  Petitioning efforts to make the ministry accept the idea of permitting female students to join the ROTC have been actively on the process in public level as well. In 2001, the petition made by female students from Kyonggi University was delivered to the National Assembly. Also students in Yeungnam University submitted a petition to the National Assembly calling for the appointment of the university as the model school to run the ROTC program with few female students.
  On September 30, the Rep. Kim held the policy forum under the title of “Expanding the number of female military personnel and allowing female university students to take part in the ROTC.” Officers from the MND, leaders of the ROTC, and female university students from Myongji University and Sookmyung Women’s University participated in debates over the issue.
  Also it is proved that female students are also willing to apply for the ROTC cadets. According to the survey conducted on 500 female university students by Hankook Research in October 2008, 94 percent of the respondents answered that they agreed to the idea of accepting female students as ROTC officers. Also 36 percent said that they would like to apply to the program in the future.
  “There are some friends of mine who are willing to join the ROTC if the government allows. Also it will be a good opportunity for those female students who dream about becoming a commissioned officer since the ROTC is considered an easier way,” said Huh Hye-jin (French Literature, 2).
  “Allowing female students to join the ROTC will diversify women’s social roles in the nation and lead the ROK army to be stronger strategically with trained female forces,” said Bong Sung-Bum, the special assistant to the Rep. Kim.
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