Military duty!

happy army family

When I write about Korea, I just use the name "Korea", but I technically should call it South Korea. As you may know, there's a neighbor to the north of South Korea that could make for an entirely different blog.


off to get a haircut

The last few times I've been to Korea (South) the attitude toward the North was sort of like a pain-in-the-ass younger brother. The majority of South Koreans believe it's a foregone conclusion that the South and the North will reunite at some point, it's just a question of when and on what terms (dictated by the South of course). No one really takes the North seriously as a military threat anymore due to the overwhelming superiority of the South Korean military. This is in large part due to South Korea's policy of mandatory conscription of ALL young men since the Korean War. Every boy must go through his rite of passage to become a soldier defending the homeland. Since there have been very few military conflicts that involved the South Korean army since the War, most young soldiers end up working in various domestic capacities. Most jobs involve a lot of physical labor, possibly to keep the lads "tough". For boys who have grown up in Korea's hyper-youth culture listening to pop music, playing video games, and probably ignoring politics, military duty is typically a rude awakening into the harsh lifestyle of a soldier. Many men say that it serves as a unifying event that young men must share with their elders and their peers. Still, the media are rife with stories of young men who have used everything from ridiculously stupid to clever tactics in order to avoid the ordeal. The military is classically a place where bullies rule without much intervention from superiors, and hard labor is a part of everyday life. Some kids have actually died under the strain that's put upon them. The horror stories are enough to make my nephews nervous about their time.


future fighting force

Joon Sung, the oldest nephew, was the first to come up for duty. His younger cousin Ki Jung isn't far behind - he'll likely go to serve next spring.


sparse barracks and exercise grounds - this is probably nicer than the real accommodations they'll receive in a few days

While the military threat of the North has diminished since the war, the threat of terrorism has recently become much more serious. The South Korean ship "Cheonan" was sunk in South Korean waters earlier this year by what all evidence points to a covert North Korean torpedo. Since then the military has been on high alert. This has added a bit more horror to the prospect of military duty for young Korean men. They might actually find themselves in the middle of another North Korean scare plot.


there was even a military rock band before the ceremony

The ceremony for the parents was eagerly greeted by the fighters in the crowd, but most of the conscripts in my vicinity talked nervously throughout the boring speeches made by a few officers.


saying goodbye to the parents

This was mostly a stage for nationalist propaganda, which doesn't sit well with the younger generation. It's a different story for the generation old enough to remember the Japanese occupation of Korea and the ensuing Korean War. Japanese culture is currently becoming more en vogue in South Korea, which some older Koreans find unsettling. The younger Korean generation seems willing to ignore the recent violent history with their neighbors, but the old guard have a hard time forgetting that.