sk military service

Sk Military Service - The release of the football star from military service drew worldwide attention to a social problem.

As most South Koreans know, the national team's victory over Japan in the Asian Games soccer tournament secured not only a gold medal but also exemption from military service for Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min. The victory drew global attention to a sociopolitical issue in South Korea.

Sk Military Service

All South Koreans between the ages of 18 and 35 undergo conscription. Most start working in their early 20s, postponing higher education or career entry. For most, mandatory military service involves five weeks of boot camp and nearly two years of battalion-grade drudgery, indoctrination and intensive training. It is clear that few people want to go through military service.

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Son Hyung Min during the gold medal match between South Korea and Japan at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: Allsport via Getty)

South Korea is a country undergoing significant social change. It started with economic development in the 1980s and continued with political developments in the 1990s and continued with social changes in the 2000s. But since 2010, youth unemployment, economic instability, gender inequality, corruption and social instability have led to growing social discontent with the pace of change.

Critics argue that South Korea's conscription system trains recruits more in makeup and skin care than preparing them to defend the country.

Compulsory military service is a recurring source of social discontent. Controversies include corruption, simplified terms of service for information, dual national service obligations, intimidation and outdated exemption norms.

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The latest controversy is the exemption for military service. There is currently no exemption for religious objections, and a June 2018 Constitutional Court ruling requires the government to provide alternative forms of national service. Exemptions are limited due to excessive tattoos, overweight and underweight, certain medical conditions, foreign citizenship and/or residence, non-Korean ethnicity, and study in fields of national importance.

Exceptions are made for high-achieving sports stars, artists, classical musicians, and dancers, but not controversial high-achieving pop culture stars, actors, or film directors.

Conscription has historically served two broad purposes: national security and nation-building. It can act as an important force multiplier in times of national emergency and as an important social equalizer that strengthens the individual's bond with the nation and society. For many South Koreans, its current form does not fully reflect any of these goals. The debate is emotional and mixed with nationalist rhetoric and political ideology.

On one side are those who see compulsory military service as a pillar. It is mainly discussed in the context of North Korean uncertainty from invasion to collapse. As such, it is largely considered in the context of the tense geopolitical situation between the interests of the US, Japan, China and Russia.

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Some see conscription as a pillar of South Korean tradition and society. It promotes social cohesion, conformity, hierarchy and a shared sense of national pride. Among those who have completed the service, there is a popular sentiment that the experience "makes boys into men" - claims that it is essential to understanding and surviving South Korea's work and corporate culture.

On the other side are those who believe that the current compulsory military service is a hindrance. It is seen as outdated and ineffective in the context of national security. Countries facing such complex geopolitical situations do not limit services to half the population and allow conscientious objection to be aired. All Israeli citizens are subject to compulsory military service, with women serving for about two years, with the exception of religious students.

Critics argue that South Korea's conscription system trains recruits more in makeup and skin care than preparing them to defend the country. Others see compulsory military service as an obstacle to the transformation of South Korean society. It stifles diversity and inclusion, further marginalizes the socially excluded, and above all, reinforces gender inequality.

Reforming South Korea's military service system is a political maze, with few clear options. Abandoning conscription in favor of extended voluntary professional service would serve national security purposes, but at the same time would not serve nation-building purposes. Restructuring military service into optional, better-paid, reserve service would serve national security and nation-building, but it would exacerbate social and economic inequality. Transforming it into a modern institution that promotes diversity and promotes gender equality serves nation-building goals, but risks neglecting national security goals.

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The Moon Jae-in administration is currently planning to reduce mandatory military service to 18 months. He also promises to review the military service exemption system in view of recent events. Both plans have already sparked controversy, with little political will to pursue further reforms.

By reducing the birth rate; Temporarily abated, but North Korea threat; and to quell social discontent with its management; Conscription remains a social and political issue in South Korea - but not for Tottenham Hotspur or Son Heung-min.

World Bank member countries have pledged to provide $75 billion in loans to the world's poorest countries over the next three years. South Korea is preparing for a lonely and scary future with few troops, weak alliances and powerful enemies.

In 2009, while going through basic military training, Lee Jumin was cut off from the world for four months and forgot how to use a computer. Josh Young had three minutes of phone time during the first six weeks of training in 2016. But by the time Chon Dong-yong joined the South Korean army in 2019, he was allowed to use his cellphone every evening after drilling. Until the light goes out. “My experience in the military was very different from my friends, even those who started a year earlier,” he says.

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Easing restrictions on soldiers has been one of the most visible changes in South Korea's armed forces in recent years. But this is only one of many. The government wants to make the army smaller, more efficient and better able to deal with the changing threats facing the country. At the same time, politicians want him to better align with the increasingly liberal society he protects.

Reforms are partly driven by demographics. South Korea is aging faster than any other country in the world. Last year, the population declined for the first time since records began. It relied on a large conscript army in the past, says Shin Seong-ho of Seoul National University. Therefore, it gives impetus to reform the command structure, strengthen the naval and air forces and acquire more advanced weapons.

More modern powers are becoming increasingly important as South Korea finds itself in an increasingly alarming geopolitical environment. Security types like to be called “shrimp among whales”. China Shows Hostility: In 2017, after South Korea allowed the deployment of an American anti-missile system intended to defend North Korea, China punished it with a harsh economic boycott. Relations with Japan, an American ally, remain strained over Japan's obligations to elderly Koreans forced by the Japanese military to work in factories and brothels during World War II. North Korea, though a fellow shrimper, is technically still at war with South Korea and continues to build an arsenal of nuclear and conventional weapons.

The changing dynamics of the alliance with the United States are particularly worrisome. Donald Trump has demanded more from South Korea to cover the cost of keeping 28,500 US troops in the country and has whispered about withdrawing them altogether. Annual joint military exercises with South Korea since 1961 were canceled in 2019. Even with a new president in the White House, the United States expects South Korea to take more responsibility and develop its capabilities in areas such as intelligence gathering. , planning and naval and air defense, says a military official involved in defense reforms. "The new administration will be more diplomatic and polite about it, so we hope we will be better, but their goals will not fundamentally change," he says.

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To some extent, America's goals align with those of the South Korean government, which wants a greater say in the alliance. Currently, command of all South Korean forces would be handed over to the US in the event of war on the peninsula. The agreement dates back to the origins of the alliance during the Korean War, when the South was deemed unable to defend itself against an attack by the North alone. But in the early 2000s, the left-of-center government of Roh Moo-hyun sought to create opportunities to regain control of the country's own forces. The current government, led by Moon Jae-in, who was Roh's chief of staff, was expected to complete the transfer.