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 numbe