🎖️ Korean Military Discharge Date Calculator
Enter the enlistment date and branch to see the discharge date, days remaining, percent of service completed and the halfway point — based on South Korea's 2026 service periods.
How to use it
Enter the enlistment date (for social service agents, the reporting date) and choose the branch. You'll get the discharge date, days left and the percentage of service completed as of today. Change the "As of" date to see the percentage on a specific day — a planned leave, a visit or an exam date. It's popular with partners, families and friends abroad who are counting down with someone serving in Korea.
South Korean military service periods (2026)
Military service is mandatory for able-bodied South Korean men, generally between ages 18 and 28 (dual nationals included in many cases). Active-duty enlisted service lengths are:
| Branch / service type | Length |
|---|---|
| Army (육군) · Marine Corps (해병대) | 18 months |
| Navy (해군) | 20 months |
| Air Force (공군) | 21 months |
| Social service agent (사회복무요원) | 21 months |
Alternative service such as industrial technical personnel, professional research personnel or merchant marine reserve has different lengths — choose "Custom" and enter the number of months. Officers and non-commissioned officers serve longer, contract-based terms.
How the discharge date is calculated
- Discharge date = enlistment date + service months − 1 day. Example: an Army soldier who enlists on March 2, 2026 is discharged on September 1, 2027.
- If the target month doesn't have the same day (e.g. Aug 31 + 18 months lands in February), the month's last day is used before subtracting one day.
- Percent served = days served ÷ total service days (counting both the enlistment and discharge days). The halfway point is the first day at or above 50%; "100 days before discharge" is the discharge date − 100 days.
- Leave counts as service time, so taking leave doesn't move the discharge date earlier. Soldiers often take their remaining leave right before discharge ("final leave"), which is why they may come home early.
Milestones soldiers celebrate
- 100th day of service — often the first leave after basic training and assignment.
- Halfway point — the "turning point" (반환점) many soldiers mark.
- D-100 and D-30 — the final countdown to discharge (전역).
Changes to service length from early discharge, disciplinary action, hospitalization or other circumstances are not reflected. Confirm the exact date with the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) and the unit.