This blog post examines whether it is reasonable to exclude college students from the industrial service personnel program, considering the competitiveness of the IT industry and the needs of the field.

The IT industry should include college students in the industrial service personnel program

On September 16, 2023, a policy debate was held in the National Assembly of Korea on the topic of “Is it reasonable to exclude college students from the ICT industrial service personnel program?” This debate, hosted by Kim Kwang-jin and Jeon Byeong-heon of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, discussed the complete exclusion of current university students and graduates from the industrial service personnel system starting this year. Despite the fact that university students serving as industrial service personnel are the driving force behind the development of the IT industry in Korea, the number of such students has been decreasing every year, and they will be completely excluded from the system starting this year. The two lawmakers, Park Hwan-soo, head of the Korea Software Industry Association, and university students who participated as guests, talked about the benefits of university student industrial service personnel and the difficulties caused by sudden policy changes, and argued for the inclusion of university students in the industrial service personnel. However, Kwon Young-gyu, a manager at the Military Manpower Administration, opposed the idea, citing issues of fairness with other industries and support for specialized high schools and Meister schools.
The argument made by the Korean Military Manpower Administration is understandable in principle. However, the policy that was actually implemented lacked an understanding of the industry’s circumstances. There are many overlooked aspects of the arguments made by the Military Manpower Administration at this discussion, so I would like to argue that the industrial service personnel system should be restored to include university students.

The industrial service personnel system that led the development of the IT industry

The Industrial Service Personnel System is a system that uses a portion of military service personnel as research or manufacturing personnel in industries to develop the national industry. Recruits who meet the qualification requirements in the relevant field can serve as industrial service personnel at designated companies selected by the Military Manpower Administration, and the designated companies can recruit as many industrial service personnel as the number of personnel assigned by the Military Manpower Administration each year. Through this system, conscripts can serve in the military while building their careers in their specialized fields, and designated companies can receive the personnel they need with ease.
The industrial service personnel system has had a significant impact on the development of the IT industry in Korea. The industrial service personnel system has been used as a window for small and medium-sized companies that have difficulty in obtaining funds and personnel to find high-quality personnel with a prestigious university education relatively easily from the start of their business. From the perspective of university students, they were able to not only resolve the military issue but also play an important role in leading the company’s growth, which was a different experience from working at a large company. In fact, many large game companies have developers who worked as industrial service personnel at the beginning of their careers and remained in key positions after their military service, and they have made great contributions to the development of the Korean game industry.

Background and necessity of the introduction of the industrial service personnel system in the IT sector

The industrial service personnel system was introduced in the 1970s and has been one of the most important systems that has contributed to the growth of Korea’s industry. At the time, Korea was experiencing a serious shortage of technical personnel as it rapidly promoted industrialization. To solve this problem, a portion of the military service resources were deployed to industrial sites to support production and technology development. In particular, since the 1990s, the role of this system has been prominent in fostering software development and IT personnel in line with the rapid growth of the IT industry.
The industrial service personnel system has gone beyond simply supplying manpower to contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of industries and building a solid technological infrastructure in Korea. Unlike large companies, small and medium-sized companies face greater difficulties in terms of funding and manpower, and university student industrial service personnel have been an important factor in alleviating these difficulties. In addition, university students have been able to gain practical experience while serving in the military and have had the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have learned in real industrial settings.

Partial Amendment to the Military Service Act Excluding University Students from Industrial Service Personnel

In the list of active duty personnel for industrial service personnel released by the Military Manpower Administration on December 9, 2023, university students were excluded and only graduates of specialized high schools and Meister high schools were selected. Although there was a notice that priority would be given to graduates of Meister schools, there was great confusion because neither the companies nor the applicants expected that university students would be completely excluded. Most were opposed to the government’s policy, which did not take into account the circumstances of the IT industry, and some criticized the sudden announcement without prior notice.
In response, Kim Kwang-jin proposed a partial amendment to the Military Service Act on April 4, 2023, to include university students in the industrial service personnel system for the IT sector only. If this bill is passed, a provision will be added to explicitly prevent discrimination in the allocation of industrial service personnel based on academic ability. Therefore, not only graduates of specialized high schools and Meister schools, but also current university students and graduates will be able to serve as industrial service personnel if they meet the qualifications. To form public opinion, Kim held a policy debate with Jeon Byeong-heon on the topic of “Is it reasonable to exclude college students from the ICT industrial service personnel?”

The Military Manpower Administration’s claims and their limitations

At the discussion, Kwon Young-kyu, a manager of the Industrial Support Division of the Military Manpower Administration, argued that the number of industrial service personnel is limited, and that the policy of giving preference to high school graduates has inevitably prevented college students from getting the opportunity. Giving preference to graduates of specialized high schools and Meister high schools in the allocation of industrial service personnel is part of a policy to promote high school employment and reduce the tendency to discriminate unfairly against people because of their academic background. One of the reasons why college students who are industrial service personnel are prioritized for assignment is that they do not stay in the industry after their service, but return to school, which has been pointed out as a problem.
In addition, Kwon added that the industry can use the professional research personnel system for those with a master’s degree or higher to recruit the talent they want. The industrial service personnel system is a system that supports people who produce or manufacture products on site, not a system that develops talent.

The difference between the IT industry and the general manufacturing industry should be considered

The exclusion of university students from the industrial service personnel system is a hasty policy that does not take into account the special nature of the IT industry. The Ministry of National Defense says that it cannot give preferential treatment to the IT industry alone for the sake of fairness with other industries, but this is a wrong idea. There is a clear difference between the general manufacturing industry and the IT industry, which is sufficient grounds to apply different standards to the IT sector.
Unlike other manufacturers, IT companies need personnel with a certain level of expertise and skills. In the case of IT venture companies that are eligible for the industrial service personnel system, there is often a shortage of software developers. Therefore, the tasks that industrial service personnel must perform are not only more extensive than in other industries, but there is also a shortage of personnel to teach them. For this reason, companies hope that new employees will be able to perform their duties on the spot.
However, it is difficult to expect such expertise from graduates of specialized technical high schools or Meister schools. Most of the technical specialized high schools offer information processing-related courses, but their curriculums are focused on computer literacy rather than professional software development or basic knowledge. In the case of Meister schools, the only school with software as its designated field is Daedeok Software Meister High School, which has a capacity of 42 students. Therefore, IT companies have to hire people who have not even learned the basic knowledge required for practical work as industrial technicians. From the perspective of companies that expect to be able to entrust important tasks to experts rather than workers who simply handle menial tasks, it is inevitable that they will sigh.

The driving force behind the disappearance of IT growth

The fact that the industrial service personnel system has had a negative impact on the development of the IT industry is also problematic. The industrial service personnel system has motivated many students to enter IT-related majors. It has also reduced the burden of starting a business because it is possible to find the talent needed for growth with little money. The motivation provided by the industrial service personnel system has been the driving force behind the development of the IT industry in Korea. If this industrial service personnel system fails to function properly, the phenomenon of avoiding software development will intensify and the IT venture industry will stagnate.