KATUSA KATUSA ( Korean : ) stands for Korean Augmentation To the United States Army . Qualified Korean draftees who demonstrate a high level of English fluency and aptitude via a standardized written exam ( usually the TOEIC ) may apply for a KATUSA slot . Conscripts with qualifying test scores are selected on a random basis via lottery by the Korean government . Once selected , KATUSAs must complete six - weeks of ROK Army basic training . A brief orientation and OJT is conducted by the U . S . Army before they begin their full - time duty with a United States Army unit garrisoned in Korea for the duration of their military service . The number of candidates vying for an available opening is extremely high because many soldiers believe that the U . S . Army is less abusive and more professional in its training and treatment of soldiers compared with the ROK Army , and that junior enlisted personnel receive better treatment , have more educational opportunities ( especially with regards to learning English ) , experience a higher standard of living , and have an overall better quality of life than their ROK counterparts . Many also believe that serving as a KATUSA engenders more respect from other Koreans , compared to their counterparts in the ROK Armed Forces . In 2012 , roughly 3 , 400 KATUSA soldiers served with 25 , 000 USFK , versus 4 , 800 in 2005 and 11 , 000 in 1968 . As the number of U . S . Soldiers in South Korea decreases , the number of KATUSA soldiers is decreasing as well . The ratio of KATUSA soldiers to U . S soldiers is roughly 1 : 10 . Purpose . The KATUSA program provides the U . S . military with Korean - speaking soldiers , allowing greater military functionality and maneuverability throughout the Korean peninsula . KATUSA soldiers are assigned to each Eighth United States Army units with their Military Occupational Specialty like the United States Army soldiers and do the part of their MOS . On top of that KATUSA soldiers serve as translators between the local populace and the U . S . Army , and help the U . S . maneuver in unfamiliar terrain . Informally , they help U . S . soldiers new to the peninsula understand Korean customs and a bit of the language . It saves the U . S . money and manpower , and symbolizes the two nations ' friendship and mutual support . Selection process . KATUSA soldiers were formerly chosen by the Military Manpower Administration ( MMA ) through standardized tests as well as through the Army Training School . Today , all KATUSA program applicants must go through the MMA . Applicants must simply pass a standardized English test , namely TOEIC , TOEFL and TEPS . The minimum scores for applying are over 780 in the case of TOEIC and over 690 in the case of TEPS . All applicants who have passed the English test go through a lottery system , and therefore have an equal chance of getting into the program . Application is limited to once per person per lifetime . Previous knowledge and study of English language is of little benefit to applicants due to low - to - average test score requirements for eligibility and the resulting larger applicant pool combined with the random lottery system of selection . Origin . The KATUSA program began in July 1950 , during the Korean War , by informal agreement between Synghman Rhee and Douglas MacArthur . The KATUSA program has been maintained as a de facto liaison between the armed forces of both nations , still without a formal written agreement . U . S . Air Force . While many Republic of Korea Air Force members in Korea work alongside U . S . Air Force members , there is no KATUSA program with the USAF counterpart ; ROKAF retains their own unit and command structure separate from their USAF coworkers . Criticism . One criticism of the KATUSA program arises from the difference in promotion systems ; the ROK Army promotes its enlistees on a quota / time basis and not through the merit system . A KATUSA soldier may be senior in rank to an American counterpart with significantly more field experience . Another criticism arising from the Korean Army side is based on the fact that most of the KATUSA soldiers are from the top universities in Korea . For the ROKA , this means that they are losing intelligent soldiers to the US Army . To minimize this , the selection process now randomly picks soldiers from the pool of applicants , instead of hiring the most qualified soldiers . Some of the recent criticisms from the South Korean side include alleged forced - recruitment during the 1950 - 53 Korean War , when the 7th Infantry Division commandeered reinforcements for the landing at Incheon . These so - called " " First KATUSA soldiers " " included 313 men from Busan . ( The South Korean side claims they were taken from refugee camps , but whether they volunteered or were coerced remains a matter of dispute . )