The Ministry of National Defense has relaxed height and tattoo restrictions to boost recruitment, a senior military official told a regular ministry news conference in Taipei yesterday.
Colonel Huang Ming-chun (黃銘君) of the ministry’s deputy chief of general staff office in charge of personnel said that the military is scrapping the maximum height of 2m for men and women.
In addition, the minimum height requirement for men has been reduced to 1.5m from 1.52m, making it the same as that for women, Huang said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Rules on tattoos for the National Security Bureau, Army Amphibious Reconnaissance units, the Military Police, military marching bands and the Political Warfare Bureau have also been relaxed, he said.
All tattoos are now permitted, provided they are not visible on the face, neck or palms, and do not contain offensive language, images or references to organized crime, he said.
The ministry is also allowing former volunteer soldiers who previously voluntarily left the armed forces for personal reasons to reapply to join the military as long as they have been out of the voluntary service for a year or more, he said.
The changes are being made to boost recruitment and retain talent, Huang said.
Volunteer soldier numbers had dropped to 152,885 as of June last year from 164,884 in 2021, the ministry said in a report to lawmakers, attributing the relatively low recruitment and retention rates to the low birthrate.
The ministry said that it would increase incentives, including offering better pay and benefits, to reverse the trend.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
RSS