The Ministry of National Defense this month announced that it would soon require volunteer military recruits to have a high-school education.
The ministry on Jan. 8 said it would amend regulations governing volunteer military recruits to set a new minimum education requirement.
Currently, people with a junior-high school education can be considered for service under special circumstances, such as by demonstrating high-school-level knowledge, possessing special skills or having an exceptional physical ability, the ministry said.
However, under the planned amendment, those without at least a high-school education would not be considered for service, regardless of their circumstances.
The ministry reached its recruitment target at the end of last year, with voluntary recruits accounting for more than 90 percent of military personnel.
NO FACE TATTOOS
The proposed amendment was part of efforts to improve the quality of recruits, the ministry said, adding that the amendment would stipulate that those with tattoos on their head, face, neck or wrists would be ineligible for recruitment.
However, the regulations would not apply to permanent makeup, such as tattooed eyebrows, it said.
Tattoos on other areas of the body would not be permitted if they represented gang affiliations, or contained profanity or offensive imagery, it said.
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