KATUSA

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KATUSA (Korean: 카투사) stands for Korean Augmentation To the United States Army. Service in the armed forces is mandatory in The Republic of Korea for all male citizens. Many Korean men who have learned to speak English compete to become KATUSAs so they can serve their time in a unit in the United States Army rather than in the Republic of Korea Army. It's widely known in Korea that the U.S. military is generally less strict than the Korean military, and allows for more personal freedom. There were roughly 4,800 KATUSAs (compare with 25,000 USFK) serving in 2005.

The purpose of the KATUSA program, in general, is to provide the U.S. military with Korean-speaking soldiers, allowing greater military functionality and maneuverability throughout the Korean peninsula. KATUSAs not only serve a great purpose as translators between the local populace and the U.S. Army, but also serve to help the U.S. maneuver in unfamiliar terrain, and often (though informally) help U.S. soldiers new to the peninsula understand Korean customs and a bit of the language.

KATUSAs were formerly chosen by the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) through standardized tests as well as through the Army Training School. Today all KATUSA applicants must go through the MMA. The KATUSA tests are highly competitive, and application is limited to once per person per lifetime.

The KATUSA program began in July of 1950, during the Korean War. Although there is no formal written agreement, the KATUSA program has been maintained as a de facto liaison between the armed forces of both nations. According to Article 600 Section 2 of the USFK Regulations, KATUSAs are granted equal prerogatives as their American counterparts, even though they are still officially members of the ROK Army and receive Korean salaries. This is a unique case in which members of a foreign military are recruited by one nation but serve under the jurisdictional command of another.

While many Republic of Korea Air Force members in Korea work alongside U.S. Air Force members, there is no USAF counterpart to the KATUSA system; ROKAF members so employed retain their own unit and command structure separate from their USAF coworkers.

[edit] Current Issues

One of the criticisms regarding the KATUSA program is the discrepancy in the rank promotion system of both nations. Since the ROK Army promotes its enlistees on a quota/time basis and not through the merit system, at times the KATUSAs will become seniors in rank compared to their American counterparts, even though they might have significantly less field experience.

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. These so-called "First KATUSAs" included 313 men from Busan (the South Korean side claims they were taken from refugee camps, but whether they volunteered or were forcefully incorporated is still a matter of dispute).

Because of the stark differences in cultures of the two militaries, serving as a KATUSA is seen by many Koreans as a much easier life than serving in the South Korean military. Due to mandatory service, many Koreans, who might otherwise be protesting the U.S., could end up serving alongside U.S. soldiers as KATUSAs. One indication that this is a problem is the frequency with which North Korean propaganda leaflets are found on U.S. posts.