A Study on the Improvement of the ROTC System to Secure Talent

Abstract

Purpose: The rate of application for ROTC, which accounts for more than 60% of officers commissioned by the Army annually, is decreasing every year. In this reality, this research aims to study what factors make college students decide to serve as officers and why they avoid applying for ROTC, and through this, from the military s point of view, it is intended to provide it as basic data that can obtain excellent cadets based on these factors. Method: Based on the results of previous studies on the influencing factors of college students applying as cadets and the decreasing ROTC application rate, this study analyzed the factors limiting the acquisition of excellent cadets and prepared improvement measures. Results: The reasons for the decrease in the application rate for ROTC cadets are as follows: First, difficulty in recruiting troops due to a decrease in the school-age population due to a low birth rate and aging society; Second, difficulty in obtaining manpower due to the shortening of the military service period; Third, insufficient economic compensation for ROTC cadets; Fourth, difficulty in managing cadets academic performance while attending the college. These factors have led the military to face an environment in which it has to make much more effort to recruit and select excellent ROTC cadets in the future than in the past. Therefore, it can be said that it is urgent for the military to identify, analyze, and come up with improvement measures for what factors college students de-cide to apply for ROTC cadets and for what reason they avoid the application. Conclusion: In order to improve the application rate for ROTC cadets in the future, it is necessary to review ways to shorten the service period of ROTC cadets, reduce the burden of academic performance management, introduce a military course credit system, and increase the promotion budget and come up with new ways to attract new generations of applicants. Through these legal and institutional improvements, it is expected that excellent ROTC cadets with the capabilities required by the Korean military will be obtained in the future.