The Pulse
South Korea Restores AI Military-Service Route After 14 Years
South Korea will let eligible AI researchers fulfil military obligations at large corporate laboratories from 2027. Four companies requested 81 placements, leaving 39 of the 120 reserved slots unclaimed at the recommendation stage.
AI.info Team ·
Only 81 of 120 corporate AI places requested
South Korea has reserved 120 military-service research placements for AI work at large-company laboratories in 2027, but companies have requested only 81 of them. The shortfall leaves 39 places unclaimed at the recommendation stage and exposes the tension between Seoul’s effort to retain AI specialists and the strict rules governing which companies may participate.
The programme will reopen a route that has been closed to large corporate laboratories since 2013. Eligible science and engineering researchers with master’s or doctoral degrees can fulfil their military obligations through three years of research rather than conventional service, according to The Straits Times, which carried the report from The Korea Herald.
The Ministry of Science and ICT recommended LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Samsung Medison and HD Hyundai Robotics for participation. Their nine research institutes requested the 81 placements, although the Military Manpower Administration still has to approve the institutions and decide the final allocations.
Four companies cleared the first recommendation stage
South Korea’s alternative-service system has continued to operate at universities, public research bodies and smaller companies. New placements at large businesses stopped in 2013 because the government wanted to direct research personnel toward small and medium-sized firms.
The government is now making a limited exception for AI, seeking to keep specialists in South Korea and reduce the risk that mandatory service interrupts research careers. The Military Manpower Administration said in June, “We aim to provide targeted support for developing researchers in nationally prioritised fields.”
The broader 2027 plan allocates 240 master’s-level AI research positions. Half will go to large-company laboratories, while the other 120 will go to government-funded and defence-industry research institutes. The large-company allocation is scheduled to operate for three years, from 2027 through 2029.
Strict eligibility rules narrow the field
Large companies must meet three conditions to qualify. They must spend at least 5 per cent of revenue on research and development, operate in a field that does not directly compete with smaller businesses and provide objectively verifiable evidence of research achievements.
The Military Manpower Administration’s June announcement confirms that 240 master’s-level AI positions will be assigned across government-funded, defence and corporate research institutes from 2027 to 2029. The agency’s full 2027 industrial-support plan assigns 2,300 places to specialised research personnel across all fields, alongside 3,200 industrial-technical positions and 800 seafarer reserve positions.
Some companies that applied did not receive recommendations because they failed to satisfy the requirements, according to the reported data. The four recommended companies are not guaranteed placements until the Military Manpower Administration completes its selection and allocation process, so the final number could fall below 81.
Hwang calls for a wider opening
Hwang Jung-a, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said the restored route gives young researchers access to institutions with some of the country’s strongest research facilities. She also warned that the rules could reduce the programme’s effect.
“With allocations to large companies returning after 14 years, young researchers will once again have a path to fulfil their military obligations at institutions with some of the country’s best research infrastructure,” Hwang said. “The requirements are so rigid that they may limit the impact of the programme. The government should open it more boldly as part of its efforts to secure talent and advance strategic technologies.”
Hwang Jung-a, as quoted by The Straits Times
Her criticism focuses on access rather than the existence of the programme. The 120 corporate places represent a new option for AI researchers, but the initial requests show that eligibility rules may prevent large laboratories from using the full quota.
The test begins with the 2027 intake
South Korea’s decision links military-service policy directly to its attempt to strengthen domestic AI research. The immediate measure is modest: four recommended companies, nine institutes and 81 requested researchers against a possible 120 corporate places.
The unresolved question is whether the Military Manpower Administration will approve all 81 requests and whether the three-year window will be long enough for companies to build lasting research teams. For now, the programme’s first concrete result is a reopened route that remains substantially below its available capacity.