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The South Korean military plans to launch a new officer academy next year, apparently modeled after Israel’s elite Talpiot program, which trains top science and engineering talent through military service, officials said Tuesday.
According to military authorities, the Defense Ministry has drafted an enforcement decree for the Act on the Establishment of the Advanced Defense Science and Technology Officer Academy and has begun the legislative notification process, with the goal of opening the school in 2026.
The enforcement decree is designed to support the law enacted in January 2024, which will is come into force on Jan. 17, 2026.
Talpiot — a Hebrew term meaning “the best of the best” — is Israel’s elite military program that allows outstanding recruits to conduct research in advanced science and technology fields during their mandatory service. South Korea’s new academy will be operated by Korea National Defense University, while academic programs excluding military studies may be jointly run with the prestigious Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to enhance the training of highly specialized personnel, officials explained.
Cadets will undergo four years of undergraduate education centered on defense research and development, along with seven weeks of basic military training during school vacations. Upon graduation, they will be commissioned as second lieutenants.
Graduates will then be required to serve six years at defense research institutions, such as the Agency for Defense Development. Those who pursue master’s or doctoral degrees will be required to serve additional time equivalent to the length of their graduate studies.
The ministry plans to set the academy’s admission age at 17 to 21, in principle. For discharged veterans, the upper age limit may be extended by up to three years depending on the length of the prior military service. Cadets will be enlisted as active-duty personnel upon admission and may be dispatched to other domestic institutions, military units or overseas assignments if necessary.
Within the military, there are expectations that the long-term service rate of science and technology specialists will increase about four years from now, when the academy begins producing graduates.
Since 2014, the military has also operated a separate “science and technology specialist officer” program, under which top science and engineering students are selected as officer candidates, complete two years of defense science education while enrolled at civilian universities and are commissioned upon graduation for three years of service. However, more than half of the candidates have reportedly withdrawn from commissioning over the past three years.
A military official said the government would pursue institutional reforms to ensure the academy fulfills its intended role and that graduates receive better treatment after commissioning, adding that support will also be provided so those who leave the military after completing mandatory service can apply their expertise in civilian society.
