The New Reform Party (NRP), led by former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, announced a proposal to mandate military service for women aspiring to become new civil servants in roles such as police, maritime police, fire service and corrections officers, potentially by 2030. Lee, who admitted that his proposal may be controversial, said that the move aims to transition the burden of military service, historically shouldered by only men, to include women.

Lee highlighted the intense competition for civil service positions in South Korea amid challenging economic conditions, referencing the high competition ratios — 24.3:1 for men and 57.7:1 for women for police recruitment in 2023. Lee explained that his proposal aims to shift the competitive focus from academic proficiency to national service commitment. He claimed that, if passed into law, his proposal expects to secure an additional 10,000 to 20,000 military personnel annually.