KATUSA
Encyclopedia
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
who demonstrate a high level of English fluency and aptitude via a standardized written exam (usually the TOEIC
TOEIC
The Test of English for International Communication measures the ability of non-native English-speaking examinees to use English in everyday workplace activities.-Overview:...
) may apply for a KATUSA slot. Conscripts with qualifying test scores are selected on a random basis via lottery by the Korean government. Once selected, KATUSAs must complete six-weeks of ROK Army basic training. A brief orientation and OJT
OJT
OJT is a three letter acronym for "On-the-Job Training", which is a form of training taking place in a normal working situation.See Training....
is conducted by the U.S. Army before they begin their full-time duty with a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
unit garrisoned in Korea for the duration of their military service.
The number of candidates vying for an available opening is extremely high because many soldiers believe that the U.S. Army is less abusive and more professional in its training and treatment of soldiers compared with the ROK Army, and that junior enlisted personnel receive better treatment, have more educational opportunities (especially with regards to learning English), experience a higher standard of living, and have an overall better quality of life than their ROK counterparts. Many also believe that serving as a KATUSA engenders more respect from other Koreans, compared to their counterparts in the South Korean military. In 2005 roughly 4,800 KATUSA soldiers served with 25,000 USFK, versus 11,000 in 1968. As the number of U.S. Soldiers in South Korea decreases, the number of KATUSA soldiers is decreasing as well. The ratio of U.S soldiers to KATUSA soldiers is roughly and informally 10:1.
Purpose
The KATUSA program provides the U.S. military with English-speaking soldiers, allowing greater military functionality and maneuverability throughout the Korean peninsula. KATUSA soldiers are assigned to each Eighth United States Army units with their Military Occupational Specialty like the United States Army soldiers and do the part of their MOS. On top of that KATUSA soldiers serve as translators between the local populace and the U.S. Army, and help the U.S. maneuver in unfamiliar terrain. Informally, they help U.S. soldiers new to the peninsula understand Korean customs and a bit of the language. It saves the U.S. money and manpower, and symbolizes the two nations' friendship and mutual support.Selection Process
KATUSA soldiers were formerly chosen by the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) through standardized tests as well as through the Army Training School. Today, all KATUSA program applicants must go through the MMA. MMA applications only require that you pass a standardized English test, namely TOEICTOEIC
The Test of English for International Communication measures the ability of non-native English-speaking examinees to use English in everyday workplace activities.-Overview:...
, TOEFL
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL , evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting....
and TEPS
TEPS
The Test of English Proficiency developed by Seoul National University or TEPS is an English proficiency test created by the Language Education Institute to evaluate Korean test takers' English language skills. TEPS has been administered nationwide since January 1999...
. The minimum scores for applying are over 780 in the case of TOEIC and over 690 in the case of TEPS. All applicants who have passed the English test go through a lottery system, and therefore have an equal chance of getting into the program. Admission is limited to once per person per lifetime. Previous knowledge and study of English language is of little benefit to applicants due to low-to-average test score requirements for eligibility and the resulting larger applicant pool combined with the random lottery system of selection.
Origin
The KATUSA program began in July of 1950, during the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, by informal agreement between Synghman Rhee and Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
. The KATUSA program has been maintained as a de facto liaison between the armed forces of both nations, still without a formal written agreement.
U.S. Air Force
While many Republic of Korea Air ForceRepublic of Korea Air Force
The Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea...
members in Korea work alongside U.S. Air Force members, there is no KATUSA program with the USAF counterpart; ROKAF retains their own unit and command structure separate from their USAF coworkers.
Criticism
One criticism of the KATUSA program arises from the difference in promotion systems; the ROK Army promotes its enlistees on a quota/time basis and not through the merit system. A KATUSA soldier may be senior in rank to an American counterpart with significantly more field experience.On the other hand, another criticism arising from the Korean Army side is based on the fact that most of the KATUSA soldiers are from the top universities in Korea. For the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), this means that they are losing intelligent soldiers to the US Army. To minimize that, now the selection process is randomly picking among the applicants, instead of hiring the best ones.
Some of the recent criticisms from the South Korean side include alleged forced-recruitment during the 1950-53 Korean War, when the 7th Infantry Division commandeered reinforcements for the landing at Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
. These so-called "First KATUSA soldiers" included 313 men from Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
. (The South Korean side claims they were taken from refugee camps, but whether they volunteered or were coerced remains a matter of dispute.)
Because of the stark differences in cultures, many Koreans see service in the KATUSA program as being much "easier" than serving as conscripts in the ROKA.
Further reading
- Appleman, Roy. South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu: June-November, 1950 (1961).
- Blair, Clay. The Forgotten War: America in Korea, 1950-1953 (1987).
- Hermes, Walter. Truce Tent and Fighting Front, United States Army in the Korean War (1966).
- Mossman, Billy. Ebb and Flow: November 1950-July 1951 United States Army in the Korean War (1990).
- Skaggs, D.C. The KATUSA Experiment: The Integration of Korean Nationals into the U.S. Army, 1950-1965 (1974).
- Stanton, Shelby. American’s Tenth Legion, X Corps in Korea, 1950 (1989).
- The Korean War: An Encyclopedia, edited by Stanley Sandler and published by Garland Publishing, Inc.