Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea and presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party clashed over the revival of the 'military points system' pledge on the 23rd. Candidate Lee noted that it had been deemed unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in the past, stating, "It is relative, so it disadvantages someone." In contrast, Candidate Kim said, "A little consideration is a responsibility of the state and a basic principle of veterans' benefits."
Candidate Lee stated during the second TV debate for the 21st presidential election organized by the Central Election Broadcast Debate Commission that there is a need to protect young men who are conscripted against their will, saying, "We need to protect men who are forcibly enlisted in their youth," while emphasizing, "Consideration for women's rights is also needed. Women face structural discrimination in wages, promotions, household responsibilities, and childcare, so special protection is necessary."
Instead, alternative measures such as 'military service credit' and 'reflecting military service career in salary increments' were proposed, which are pledges of the Democratic Party. Candidate Lee said, "My pledges do not harm women, but the military points system mentioned by Candidate Kim would disadvantage women who do not serve in the military." In particular, he added, "To suggest introducing something that the Constitutional Court has determined to be unconstitutional is ultimately about dividing or mocking women."
Regarding the Constitutional Court's unconstitutional ruling, Candidate Kim responded, "It was ruled unconstitutional because we granted too much as high as 5% and set a too narrow scope. I will absolutely not do that." He continued, "Those who have served their mandatory 18 months and have served for a long time should receive a certain level of treatment when they come back to society. A little consideration when taking office is the responsibility of the state and the essence of veterans' benefits."
Earlier, Candidate Kim pledged to revive the 'gender-neutral military points system' during the People Power Party's presidential primary process last April. The military points system, introduced in 1961, grants a 5% advantage to those who have served for over two years when hiring for public positions. However, in 1999, the Constitutional Court ruled it unconstitutional.