Acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior Hua Jingqun said in an interview this morning that because of the national defense policy requirements, the international situation and Taiwan's strategic position and other factors, at this stage, for draftees born after 1994, applications for research and development of replacement draftees are stopped.

(Photo by reporter Liu Xinde)

[Reporter Huang Jingyu/Taipei Report] Compulsory service will be restored to one year starting in 2024, and substitute service will no longer be open to applications for specialty and R&D substitute service.

The Acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior, Hua Jingqun, was interviewed before attending the Internal Affairs Committee this morning and said that because of the national defense policy requirements, the international situation and Taiwan's strategic position and other factors, at this stage, the application for research and development of replacements for draftees born after 1994 is stopped.

Hua Jingqun said that in the past, the position of replacement service was relatively loose, which was based on problems such as the surplus of soldiers. The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Interior did conduct some reviews on the positions of general service and replacement service. National defense policy requirements, in principle, as long as draftees meet the general service status, they still hope to be able to join the army.

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Hua Jingqun also explained that since the one-year compulsory service training will only start on January 1, 2024, next year it will not be possible for draftees born in 1994 to undergo a one-year training and service process. After 1994, draftees applied to enlist in the army, not to "block" draftees from joining the army, but a necessary coping mechanism under the process of system reform.