By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter


Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung

Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said that the government will provide greater opportunities for soldiers to develop their English language abilities during their service period.
Yoon, 63, also said that the spending for the 15-year defense reform plan is estimated at some 620 trillion won ($580 billion), 60 trillion won less than the initial assessment, which drew concerns about the towering defense costs.

``Taking full advantage of the country’s advanced information technology, the government aims to create an environment to help raise the quality of military human resources within three years,’’ Yoon said in an exclusive interview with The Korea Times, marking the paper’s 55th anniversary that falls on Nov. 1.

``I think English is and will still be a dominant language in the future. So, by providing English language learning during the two years’ service, I believe, would greatly contribute to upgrading the nation’s global competitiveness as well as developing the soldiers themselves,’’ he said, citing statistics on the country’s low level of English skills.

For its average TOFEL scores in the 2003 report of the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea ranked 119th among 155 countries around the world with 202 points out of a top score of 300.

The ministry seeks to implement various education and qualification programs for men and women both online and offline, the minister said.

As a first step, the government plans to spend 16.8 billion won ($15.8 million) to install 56,000 personal computers with wired and wireless LAN infrastructure in the country’s military camps on a gradual basis by 2011, in order to set up an ``e-Learning’’ system.

About 80 percent of the installation will be completed by next year to provide each 150-member company with 16 personal computers, Yoon said. A governmental ad hoc panel to improve the camp culture was inaugurated last July.

Yoon co-chairs the committee that is comprised of nine civilians and nine others from seven government agencies. He assumed the ministerial post in July last year.

Based on the e-Learning infrastructure, the government seeks to allow soldiers out of college due to military service to take regular courses for up to six credits per year starting next September.

Included in offline programs are to set up English-speaking platoons and increasing language-teaching officers.

The ministry is also considering allowing soldiers to learn English in a private English camp, said Yoon, a former vice admiral of the Navy.

``I believe U.S. soldiers here are also a good resource that can help South Korean service members learn English,’’ he said. ``Exchange programs between the allies’ soldiers will be very meaningful as they can learn about each other’s military terms and cultures.’’

Yoon said the ministry will seek to promote English-learning classes with U.S. service members in Pyongtaek and Osan, where a consolidated U.S. base is scheduled to be built under a Seoul-Washington agreement struck last year.

The government will provide as much support for the English-learning program as it can within the limits of the budget, so that people can think joining the military is the best way to learn and boost their English abilities, Yoon stressed.

``Soldiers will no longer feel a sense of alienation and isolation from society. I’m confident that our programs will help promote the current conscription system, dispelling the troubles of young South Koreans enlisted in the military,’’ the minister said.

Every South Korean male aged over 18 serves two years of mandatory military service. About 270,000 soldiers and 16,000 officers are discharged from the military every year.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr