[코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 육·해·공군사관학교 필기 시험에 합격하고도 면접 응시를 포기하는 비율이 윤석열 정부 들어 뚜렷한 상승세를 보인 것으로 확인됐다.

올해 육해공사 1차 필기 시험 합격자 중 면접 등 2차 시험에 응시하지 않은 인원이 10명 중 7명을 넘어섰다.

병사 월급이 인상되고 초급 간부와의 급여 격차가 크게 줄어들면서 장교 복무 선호도가 떨어진 여파로 분석된다.

7일 국방부가 박선원 더불어민주당 의원실에 제출한 ‘최근 3년 사관학교 응시율’ 자료에 따르면, 올해 육군사관학교 1차 합격자 3,471명 중 2차 응시 인원은 780명에 불과했다. 응시를 포기하는 비율이 2022년 60.1%, 2023년 66.4%에서 2024년 77.5%로 2년새 17%p 가까이 상승한 것이다.

해군사관학교 미응시 비율은 2022년 58.1%, 2023년 60.4%에서 2024년 72.4%로 늘었다. 2022년 48.9%, 2023년 50.5%이었던 공군사관학교는 2024년 73.2%로 올라 더 큰 상승폭을 보였다.

문재인 정부 마지막 해인 2021년 육해공사 1차 합격자 중 미응시 비율은 각각 58.3%, 60%, 47.1%였다.

박 의원은 “병장 월급은 대폭 인상되는 가운데 정작 간부 처우는 이를 따라가지 못해 사관학교 위상 하락으로 이어졌다”며 “예견됐던 부작용을 놓친 정부의 허술한 정책 설계 탓”이라고 지적했다.

이어 “군을 떠나는 젊은 장교들은 늘고 있는데 국방부는 올해 초급간부 처우 개선 예산을 오히려 삭감했다”며 “우수한 인재를 군으로 유인하기 위해 간부 복무여건과 처우 개선이 병행돼야 한다”고 강조했다.

[전문]

[Exclusive] Korean military academies see sharp rise in eligible applicants dropping out since Yoon: lawmaker

South Korea’s once prestigious military academies are fast losing appeal for potential candidates, with about two in three applicants dropping out despite qualifying for final interviews this year.

Despite an increase in applicants to academies of all three armed services over the first three years of Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration in 2022-24, the steep rise in dropout rates during the admissions process reveals the underlying challenges the South Korean military faces recruiting for its officer class.

According to Ministry of National Defense data submitted to Rep. Park Sun-won, this year the Korea Military Academy for training army officer cadets saw less than a quarter of its eligible applicants show up for interviews, the final stage before they can be admitted.

Out of 8,916 total applicants, the Academy called in 3,471 who passed the exams for interviews. Only 780 or 22.5 percent showed up, marking a sharp decline from the previous years.

In 2023, 33.6 percent of eligible applicants to the Academy came to interviews. In 2022, 39.9 percent did.

Over the same period, the Naval Academy saw a similar decline with just 27.6 percent of applicants who qualified for interviews turning up this year. In 2023, the rate was 39.6 percent, which was already a decrease from 2022’s 41.9 percent.

For the Air Force Academy, the rate of applicants who came in for interviews was 26.8 percent this year. In 2023 it was 49.5 percent and in 2022, 51.1 percent.

“Getting into any of the three military academies used to be a huge honor in the Korean society. Their fall is an alarming sign of our military’s worsening recruitment crises,” Park told The Korea Herald.

The Korea Military Academy in particular is the alma mater of numerous political elites including two former presidents, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo.

Fewer eligible applicants committing to the rest of the admissions process after already passing the highly competitive exams is a trend that began after the Yoon Suk Yeol administration took office, according to the lawmaker.

The final year Yoon’s predecessor Moon Jae-in was in office in 2021, the Korea Military Academy had an applicant turnout rate of 41.7 percent. For the Naval Academy the rate was 40 percent and the Air Force Academy, 52.9 percent.

Park said this was attributable to the Yoon administration’s push to raise the wage of soldiers conscripted for service while the pay for junior ranking officers remained stagnant.

“While the salaries of conscripts have increased drastically, those for officers failed to keep up. Low morale is being reported among junior-ranking officers who are getting paid nearly the same as soldiers,” he said.

“Without improving pay and treatment of the senior ranks of the military, we are not going to be able to attract more qualified candidates.”