South Korea Plans To Extend Military Mandatory Period, Puts Women Aside

Illustration of the United States military training with the South Korean military. (Wikimedia Commons//Republic of Korea Armed Forces)

JAKARTA - South Korea's Ministry of National Defense on Friday said it was setting aside the possibility of conscription to women for military service in the country, extending the current military service period or eliminating alternative services, in short message notices.

The statement came a day after the idea was proposed in a forum organized by lawmaker from the ruling People's Power Party of Shin Won-sik.

"If the current military force management system continues, not only will the chronic shortage of personnel worsen, but it will also become increasingly difficult to maintain the target of maintaining around 365,000 troops in the Army by 2025," said Cho Kwan-ho, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, in the forum. that, reported the Korea Times May 14.

"From a long-term perspective, the military service period must be extended to 21 months or 24 months from the current 18 months," he continued.

In South Korea, all healthy men over the age of 19 are required to undergo military service. Primary personnel on duty served 18 months in the Army or Marine Corps, 20 months in the Navy and 21 months in the Air Force.

Meanwhile, women are allowed to join the armed forces, but their services are voluntary.

It is known that the number of 20-year-old men in South Korea reached 250,000 this year, but the number is expected to decline to 180,000 by 2037, sparking fears of a shortage of military workers.

Meanwhile, Lee Han-ho, head of the Retirement Association of Generals and Admiral Korea, said, "The current approach to reducing military labor is based on predetermined principles, namely an 18-month service period is nothing but a serious waiver of our national security readiness," and "this country should seriously consider extending the service period to two years or longer."

"In the past, the birth rate in this country surpassed 6 births per woman. But now that number remains at 0.78, so there is no reason not to impose mandatory military service on women... Changing the relevant laws to allow for military service for women is a task to be considered," Lee said.

Military service for women has long been a sensitive issue in South Korea, and has been the subject of heated debate in recent elections, as politicians, most of the conservatives, voiced their opinion on mandatory military service for women, in a bid to win support from men in their 20s.

Globally, there are only 10 countries that require mandatory military service for men and women, where Sweden and Norway require mandatory military service for both sexes of the same conditions.

Meanwhile, countries such as Israel, Myanmar, Libya, and North Korea require mandatory military service for women, but with different periods and exceptions.