We are here at the beginning of another school year, thus Chung-Ang University is recruiting students who would like to participate in the ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) program. It is a program that originates from the United States, implemented to cultivate commissioned officers for the army. Commissioned officers play a significant role in the army to enhance operations. Through evaluations, participants are admitted in their second year of university and they start to receive training in their third year until graduation. The ‘pre-commissioned officers’ attend university just like any other students, but receive training such as regular drills during the semesters and extra training activities during semester breaks.

Once they graduate from university, they are entitled to become commissioned officers and then begin military service. Normally, every Korean citizen is mandated to serve in the military for 18 months, but commissioned officers need to serve for 28 months. Therefore, it is quite a difficult decision to join the ROTC. Still, students with high patriotism, service spirit, and intestinal fortitude do not hesitate to enroll in the training. Many corporations rate students highly who had served as commissioned officers because they have gone through the arduous process of simultaneously studying and training.