A graphic shows the rising share of active-duty soldiers discharged as unfit for service due to mental health-related reasons, increasing from 82.6% in 2021 to 85.8% in 2025 data from office of Rep. Yoo Yong-won. Graphic by Asia Today and translated by UPI
Feb. 15 (Asia Today) — The proportion of South Korean conscripts deemed eligible for active duty has risen steadily in recent years, but thousands of service members continue to leave the military early each year, with mental health issues accounting for the vast majority of cases.
According to the Military Manpower Administration, the active-duty eligibility rate increased from 83.08% in 2021 to 86.65% in 2025 as authorities eased standards to offset a declining pool of military-age men.
Data submitted by the Defense Ministry to Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the conservative People Power Party showed that more than 20,000 troops were discharged over the past five years after being deemed unfit for continued active-duty service.
Annual figures have declined from 5,421 in 2021 to 2,633 in 2025. Still, Yoo said the downward trend does not necessarily indicate a fundamental improvement.
Across all service branches, more than 80% of those discharged as unfit cited mental health-related reasons. In 2021, 4,223 of 5,113 early discharges – or 82.6% – were linked to mental health issues. The share rose to 85.8% in 2025.
Lawmakers’ data classified most of the cases as “maladjustment to service,” which the lawmaker’s office said corresponds largely to psychological or mental health concerns.
A similar pattern has emerged among commissioned and non-commissioned officers. In 2023, 177 of 330 Army officers discharged as unfit – 53.6% – left for mental health reasons. The Navy recorded a 262.5% increase in such cases that year, from eight to 29, while the Marine Corps saw the number nearly quadruple from four to 15.
The figures have prompted calls for a broader review of military personnel management. While mental health evaluations are conducted during conscription screening, critics say they may not fully account for stress and adjustment challenges encountered during service.
Yoo said the Defense Ministry should strengthen personnel management and mental health support systems, calling service members’ mental health “a public responsibility the military must shoulder.”
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260214010005141