1950-60년대 의료전문가의 동원과 징병검사의 수립

Abstract

After the Korean War, establishing a conscription system became a priority in South Korea, especially following the reduction of U.S. troops in Korean soil. Imposing universal military service and finding qualified people were two key elements in setting up the conscription system. Under the influence of U.S. military medical units, the Korean Army aimed to employ medical professionals to achieve these goals. However, they were in great shortage. Mobilizing civil professionals and employing their knowledge was key to successfully introducing a conscription system. This piece of research aims to explore the installation of the military medical service through the compulsory mobilization of medical professionals in the 1950s-1960s and the change of physical standards for conscription during the period. First, the Korean army compulsory mobilized medical professionals through making medical education system as the resource of the military medical personnels. Second, the standards for enlistment changed from being  simple disease-centered to physical-grade-centered. This research explains that medical professional knowledge served as a justification against the enlistment of men with weak bodies and with diseases, rather than as a way of determining who were qualified for military service. By analyzing the records and articles of the military medical unit, this research implies the case of the employment of medical professional knowledge under a military nation.