| (1) | The compulsory service period of officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers (excluding staff sergeants appointed without volunteering) shall be as follows: Provided, That the foregoing shall not apply to a time of national emergency, such as wartime or crisis: |
| 1. | The compulsory service period of long-term service officers shall be ten years, and a long-term service officer may file an application for discharge from active service a single time on or after the fifth anniversary of his/her appointment as a long-term service officer; |
| 2. | Notwithstanding subparagraph 1, among officers in the aviation branch of the Navy and officers in the operations branch of the Air Force, who have completed a flight training course and hold a flying license (excluding a license for tilt-rotor aircraft), the compulsory service period of officers who graduated from the Korea Naval Academy or the Korea Air Force Academy shall be 15 years, and the compulsory service period of the other officers shall be 13 years: Provided, That such officer may file an application for discharge from active service a single time on or after the fifth anniversary of his/her appointment as an officer; |
| 3. | If deemed necessary for the management of manpower of the Armed Forces, the Minister of National Defense may shorten the compulsory service period under subparagraph 2 by not more than two years; |
| 4. | The compulsory service period of short-term service officers shall be three years: Provided, That the compulsory service period of persons who graduated from the Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon or the Armed Forces Nursing Academy shall be six years, while the Minister of National Defense may shorten the service period of officers from the officer candidate course conducted by the Reserve Officers' Training Corps pursuant to Article 57 (2) of the Military Service Act and officers in the nursing branch (excluding officers in the nursing branch who graduated from the Armed Forces Nursing Academy), among female military personnel, by not more than one year, if the Minister considers it necessary for the management of manpower of the Armed Forces; |
| 5. | The compulsory service period of warrant officers shall be five years: Provided, That the compulsory service period of a warrant officer who engages in a technical area specified by Presidential Decree as essential to the military (excluding persons appointed as warrant officers from among master sergeants and sergeants major) shall be ten years, and such a warrant officer may file an application for discharge from active service a single time on or after the seventh anniversary of the date of appointment; |
| 6. | The compulsory service period of long-term service noncommissioned officers shall be seven years: Provided, That the compulsory service period of a long-term service noncommissioned officer who engages in a technical area specified by Presidential Decree as essential to the military shall be ten years, and such a noncommissioned officer may file an application for discharge from active service a single time on or after the seventh anniversary of the date of appointment; |
| 7. | The compulsory service period of short-term service noncommissioned officers shall be four years: Provided, That the compulsory service period under Article 6 (7) 3 shall be the service period extended under Article 20-2 of the Military Service Act, the compulsory service period of short-term service noncommissioned officers and female short-term service noncommissioned officers under Article 6 (7) 4 shall be three years, and the compulsory service period of short-term service noncommissioned officers under Article 6 (7) 5 shall be the service period of enlisted personnel under Articles 18 and 19 of the Military Service Act. |
| (2) | In addition to the compulsory service period, a military personnel who has received commissioned education or other education shall serve for the period, specified in any of the following subparagraphs. In such cases, the additional service period shall begin on the day immediately after the end of the compulsory service period, if the education is completed during the compulsory service period, or on the day immediately after the end of the education period, if the education is completed after the end of the compulsory service period: |
| 1. | A military personnel who has received commissioned education for not less than six months in a foreign country: A period equivalent to twice as much as the education period; |
| 2. | A military personnel who has received commissioned education for not less than six months in a non-military educational institution in the Republic of Korea: A period equivalent to the education period; |
| 3. | A military personnel who has received education for a degree for not less than six months in a military educational institution in the Republic of Korea: A period equivalent to the education period; |
| 4. | A military personnel who has received commissioned education for a night course in a non-military educational institution in the Republic of Korea with tuition fees paid while performing day duty: A period equivalent to one-half of the education period. |
| (3) | In addition to the compulsory service period, a medical officer who receives training as a probationer for a basic or specialized medical course shall serve for the period equivalent to the probationary period. |
| (4) | In addition to the compulsory service period, a person who is appointed as a short-term service officer, from among military scholarship students under Article 62 (1) shall serve for a period equivalent to the period during which the military scholarship was paid: Provided, That the Minister of National Defense may require persons who are appointed as a noncommissioned officer, from among military scholarship students under Article 62 (1), to serve for a period of not more than the period during which the military scholarship was paid in addition to their compulsory service period. <Amended by Act No. 11390, Mar. 21, 2012> |
| (5) | In addition to the compulsory service period, the Minister of National Defense may require persons who have received commissioned education in a foreign country for the operation of special equipment to serve for the following relevant period in addition to the compulsory service period. In such cases, paragraph (2) shall apply to the method for such addition: |
| 1. | If the period double the education period is less than three years: Until three years; |
| 2. | If the period double the education period exceeds three years: The period double the education period. |
[This Article Wholly Amended by Act No. 10703, May 24, 2011]