Military service in South-Korea
http://articles.learn-korean-now.com/articles/10/1/Military-service-in-South-Korea/Page1.html
NATHALIE VELDHUIZEN
I am French and I have a Technical Diploma in Multimedia/ Communications/ Networks. I then went on films studies, and that's when I discovered Korean films. Park Chan Wook's Old Boy totally blew me away, and that's how I got hooked up on Korean cinema, and then Korean music, language and culture. I started learning Korean in late summer 2006, just for fun, but now I'm addicted ! I so want to understand by myself all the Korean movies, dramas, songs, news ! By NATHALIE VELDHUIZEN
Published on 04/19/2007
If you are a little bit interested in South-Korean bands or actors, you may have come across articles about some actors or singers starting their 2-year mandatory service, or being released from it.
That's what happened with me. Now, I should tell you that I'm French and that we no longer have a mandatory military service in France. It stopped in 1995 if I remember well, and it was replaced by a single day of military information. Anyway, that's because of that that I was interested by military service in South-Korea : "What ? Even celebrities must go to the army ?".
This is my first article so it's not very great yet, forgive me.
Some facts about Korean military service
So, I went on a little research abour this topic, and here's what I found out (please correct me if I'm wrong).
- officially, South-Korea is still at war with North-Korea since no Peace Treaty was ever signed. Men are therefore trained for war, in extreme conditions.
- every Korean male citizen must go to the army for a bit more than two years. They can be in the active service or civil service and administration jobs, depending on their health condition.
- the age limit is from 18 to 30 or so...
- they can be dismissed from it only if they are unable physically to do the training. They can also be released if they get a very bad injury during service, and come back after their recovery ... or not if the doctors say so.
- the first months are active training in camp and it's the same for everyone. Then, they can be sent to the DMZ or in dangerous areas, or to work in cities, public services, etc...
- the mandatory military service was created in 1949, like the army, in order to protect Korea's independance.
- according to my Korean friends and to what I found in books, it's very difficult physically and psychologically. Korean men tend to have nightmares about military service even after they're done with it !
- it's strictly forbidden to avoid going to the army. If you say you don't want to go to the army because of your conscience, religion, or such things, you're very likely to have problems, to be sent to jail for some time, and to have troubles finding a good job later on. There is a big government and social pressure about this : if you don't go to the army (except if it's because of health problems), you are considered as a coward, even a criminel, a rebel to the State, or things like this. It's a matter of pride for your family and such. But things may change slowly ...
- some Korean men can avoid the military service if they have the US citizenship, which is becoming a trend these days : mothers go to the USA to give birth, the baby gets the US citizenship this way and will have the opportunity to have a different education later on and avoid the Korean military service if he wishes to.
- deaths are reported : men killed during service, but also suicides since it's very difficult.
- and yes, even stars have to go to the army !
- in North Korea, the military service lasts longer and is also for women !
- officially, South-Korea is still at war with North-Korea since no Peace Treaty was ever signed. Men are therefore trained for war, in extreme conditions.
- every Korean male citizen must go to the army for a bit more than two years. They can be in the active service or civil service and administration jobs, depending on their health condition.
- the age limit is from 18 to 30 or so...
- they can be dismissed from it only if they are unable physically to do the training. They can also be released if they get a very bad injury during service, and come back after their recovery ... or not if the doctors say so.
- the first months are active training in camp and it's the same for everyone. Then, they can be sent to the DMZ or in dangerous areas, or to work in cities, public services, etc...
- the mandatory military service was created in 1949, like the army, in order to protect Korea's independance.
- according to my Korean friends and to what I found in books, it's very difficult physically and psychologically. Korean men tend to have nightmares about military service even after they're done with it !
- it's strictly forbidden to avoid going to the army. If you say you don't want to go to the army because of your conscience, religion, or such things, you're very likely to have problems, to be sent to jail for some time, and to have troubles finding a good job later on. There is a big government and social pressure about this : if you don't go to the army (except if it's because of health problems), you are considered as a coward, even a criminel, a rebel to the State, or things like this. It's a matter of pride for your family and such. But things may change slowly ...
- some Korean men can avoid the military service if they have the US citizenship, which is becoming a trend these days : mothers go to the USA to give birth, the baby gets the US citizenship this way and will have the opportunity to have a different education later on and avoid the Korean military service if he wishes to.
- deaths are reported : men killed during service, but also suicides since it's very difficult.
- and yes, even stars have to go to the army !
- in North Korea, the military service lasts longer and is also for women !