Out-of-shape military officers multiply due to stricter standards

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- The number of officers and non-commissioned officers who failed to meet the military's physical fitness test jumped more than 23-fold in 2010, the first year when stricter standards were put into place, a report showed Monday.
A total of 7,926 officers and non-commissioned officers failed the annual test last year, compared with 344 in 2009 under the old standards, according to the report released by Rep. Song Young-sun of the minor opposition Future Hope Alliance.



In particular, the report found that the number of out-of-shape non-commissioned officers skyrocketed to 3,213 last year, from 76 in 2009.
The military imposed the stricter fitness standards last year as part of its efforts to bolster combat readiness.
Under the new program, officers and non-commissioned officers are required to do more sit-ups and push-ups for two minutes each. In addition, they must achieve passing results on a 3-kilometer run, compared with a 1.5km run in the past.
The soldiers are awarded points based on the results of the tests, which are used to determine their eligibility for promotion.
Song said the military needs to change the current fitness standards if the failure rate for this year matches that of last year.
"If there is little change in the results of the test for this year, the military will need to consider adjusting the current standards," Song said in the report.
South Korea's military remains vigilant against possible attacks from North Korea following a year of high tensions. Last year, North Korea sank a South Korean warship and shelled a southern border island, leaving 50 people, including two civilians, dead.
kdh@yna.co.kr