By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter


An increasing number of servicemen have been hospitalized for mental disease recently, according to data released by the Defense Ministry Friday.

More than 1,000 conscripts, including officers and soldiers, annually receive services in the psychiatric section of military hospitals due to mental disorders. The number stood at 1,360 in 2003, and increased to 1,440 last year. A total of 708 conscripts had been hospitalized as of last June.

Accordingly, the number of conscripts who were discharged early has been rising. In 2001, 28 soldiers were discharged for mental or personality disorders. The number rose to 84 in 2002, 120 in 2003 and 137 in 2004. As of May, the number stood at 36.

Rep. Park Chan-suk of the ruling Uri Party argued that the root cause of the situation lies in the current conscription system.

South Korea keeps some 680,000 troops under a compulsory drafting system. It requires all men without serious physical or mental problems above the age of 18 to serve for 24-28 months.

``The Military Manpower Administration seems to have been conscripting soldiers without careful consideration,’’ Park, a member of the parliamentary Defense Committee, said during an inspection session of the Defense Ministry. ``The solution is to change the system to a voluntary military system.’’

Ruling party lawmakers also took issue with the poor conditions in the military.

``The annual military budget amounts to more than 20 trillion won. But the military procurement hasn’t changed for 30 years,’’ said Rep. Im Jong-in. ``Even the barracks are the same. It’s like forcing the new generation to go back in time and live there.’’

Rep. Kim Myung-ja claimed that even basic goods such as socks are in short supply and of poor quality. ``Dermatologists call the military a seed-bed for athlete’s foot,’’ she said.

Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said that the problems will be solved when the government’s push for military reform gets under way and the financial budget for conscripts’ welfare is expanded.

saltwall@koreatimes.co.kr