Purpose; This study is to find out the effect of martial arts training of noncommissioned officer cadets on leadership skills and innovative behavior and to help the operation of educational programs of military-related educational institutions, including noncommissioned officer academies. To this end, a survey was conducted on noncommissioned officer cadets in Gyeongsang-do, Chungcheong-do, and Gyeonggi-do, as of 2020, where 300 students were briefed on the purpose of the survey and agreed to participate using the self-assessment method. Among the collected data, 286 questionnaires were valid samples, excluding those whose responses to the survey were unfaithful or some parts of the survey were omitted. For the data collected, frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed, using SPSS 25.0 for Windows. The results are as follows:
First, martial arts training affects leadership skills.
Second, martial arts training affects innovative behavior.
Third, leadership skills affect innovative behavior.
The study shows that martial arts training affects leadership skills and innovative behavior. The military organization, a unified group that performs special missions under special circumstances and conditions for special purposes, pursues the purpose and interests of the entire group. Due to the specificity as a group that requires unified attitudes and actions of its members, the military organization is likely to accumulate negativity and conflict as its functions are uniformed while pursuing efficiency, and that is why leadership is required. Noncommissioned officers and other soldiers are directed at what activities they choose for military organizations or the country, how much effort they will make, how long they will continue the action in the face of difficulties, and what is important in the efficient operation of their organizations is leadership. Martial arts such as taekwondo and judo have a significant influence on the improvement of leadership. Therefore, martial arts and related quality education are needed for noncommissioned officer cadets who are responsible for the future security and safety of the country to perform their duties faithfully before they are commissioned.