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Wrench
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
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 Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:11 pm Post subject: Conscription.. |
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So yesterday my I met my first disgruntled would be conscript. My neighbour of 10 months finnaly got the call yesterday. He was really a nice guy, spoke very good English. He was really angry about having to go to the military. He has to leave his studies mid way through to do the mandatory service. He seemed a bit frustrated that women don't have to be in service. He was also concerned with becoming dumber since soldiering isn't rocket science. At least he knows English and he might get posted along English speakers.
Most Koreans that have spoken with said it didn't bother them that much. I guess times are changing.
Whats the point of conscription in South Korea? Its a practice that is very unpopular, and on the most part it makes the poor soldiers. Why doesn't Korea have a profesional military like Western Society?
(I just hope when I go back to Poland I don't get conscripted  ) |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:37 pm Post subject: Re: Conscription.. |
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| Wrench wrote: |
Whats the point of conscription in South Korea? Its a practice that is very unpopular, and on the most part it makes the poor soldiers. Why doesn't Korea have a profesional military like Western Society?
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Most Western countries don't have a militant communist dictatorship in their backyard waiting for a chance to invade.
Why women don't have to do some sort of national service is a good question though. Even if they decided Korean women are too delicate for the military, they could do secretarial work at schools, work at the post office, or they could start a national daycare plan, so women with children could continue to work. |
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joe_doufu
Joined: 09 May 2005
Location: Elsewhere
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:39 pm Post subject: Re: Conscription.. |
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| Wrench wrote: |
| Whats the point of conscription in South Korea? Its a practice that is very unpopular, and on the most part it makes the poor soldiers. Why doesn't Korea have a profesional military like Western Society? |
Hmm... I guess it's the whole imminent danger of invasion thing. When you are officially at war, and a lunatic with nuclear bombs is breathing down your neck constantly planning his attack, you don't really have all the options that hippies in San Francisco do...
And they do have a professional military... ours! |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't realize that they got conscripted. I thought it was universal, but they choose when to go. I'm pretty sure this is true.
This is a hold-over from the 50 years of the Norks sending down armed infiltrators to attack the country. This continued up till the big meeting in Pyongyang in 2000.
I think the guy you talked to is just more open about his feelings. Lots of guys resent the obligation and see it as a waste of time, but don't say much since they have to do it. It is normal for university students to interupt their studies for the two years. It causes some problem when they return because it makes them older than a lot of their classmates and disrupts the seniority system.
A smaller professional military is not really possible as long as the North keeps a million men in their army, poised to invade. Roh did reduce the service time by a couple of months in return for the younger people voting for him. |
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Wangja
Joined: 17 May 2004
Location: Seoul, Yongsan
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| And they do have a professional military... ours! |
34,000 including support is an army? |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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I've had a lot of friends go into the army. Even if they do complain, they do it anyway. To them it's as unavoidable as puberty.
Of course, if you're rich, there are a number of ways to escape it. |
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Wrench
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Wangja wrote: |
| Quote: |
| And they do have a professional military... ours! |
34,000 including support is an army? |
If Norks would try something Americans could probably single handidly whoop their ass. Yanks have also large military installations in Japan.
I still rather have 100k profesional soldiers then 500k conscripted soldiers.
Conscription in Poland works differently. You volunteer when you want to enlist but you have to do so before age of 30 . Women had to serve as public workers, I also remember that you could do other public duties if you were not capable of serving in the military. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| There are a lot of other ways the army can use you. I know one lawyer who is doing his military service in the public prosecutor's office. If you have medical training they will use you. If you're a wimp, then you might get a decent post guarding a city hall in a small city, but it really depends on the recruiter who signs you up. |
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Wangja
Joined: 17 May 2004
Location: Seoul, Yongsan
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Wrench wrote: |
| Wangja wrote: |
| Quote: |
| And they do have a professional military... ours! |
34,000 including support is an army? |
If Norks would try something Americans could probably single handidly whoop their ass. Yanks have also large military installations in Japan.
I still rather have 100k profesional soldiers then 500k conscripted soldiers.
Conscription in Poland works differently. You volunteer when you want to enlist but you have to do so before age of 30 . Women had to serve as public workers, I also remember that you could do other public duties if you were not capable of serving in the military. |
Would they have to bring some or all of the guys out of Iraq to tackle the "Norks"? Would 160,000 in total be enough? Would they bring them before the "Norks" came in? Or would they bring them in through Pusan with a pincer attack in Incheon?
I agree 100% about the relative worth of a professional army: but fighting for one's own land is a high incentive.
And yes, women should do the service too but that will not happen unless and until there is equality of the sexes. |
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canuckistan
Mod Team
Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Location: Training future GS competitors.....
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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Wrench wrote:
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At least he knows English and he might get posted along English speakers.
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He could try to get a posting as a KATUSA--Korean augmentee to US Army--live on a US base under better conditions. They always need English-speaking Korean soldiers, especially to liaise with Korean locals when they're on exercises. |
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