Despite opposition from the majority of Koreans and relentless efforts of organizations such as World Without War (WWW), South Korea is possibly taking preparations for a third world war although there already is debate centering the country’s mandatory military service.
According to media reports, World Without War has been working since 2003 for the right for conscripts to become Conscientious Objectors. To this end, it has worked with other national movements like the campaign against the expansion of Pyeongtaek US military base and the campaign against a new naval base in Gangjeong village, Jeju Island. Despite South Koreans gaining this right in 2019, those who choose this path must serve 36 months in administrative work in the country’s prison system. Along with groups such as Amnesty International, WWW have also been campaigning for the government to provide less punitive alternatives.
This year shall be marked with the 70th anniversary of the last shots fired in the Korean War which ended in 1953 with the signing of an armistice that never intended to be a proper peace treaty. After 70 years of signing of the 1953 treaty, the Korean Peninsula is still volatile with constant threats of war between South and North Korea, while Pyongyang has been continuing its nuclear projects aimed at destroying South Korea, Japan and other neighboring nations as well hitting targets within the United States. Recently it was revealed in various reports that North Korea already is seeing massive progress in its ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) project, which is capable of hitting any target in South Korea and Japan within seconds, and even before the targeted nations get aware of such attacks.
It may be mentioned here that the 1953 treaty was signed by North Korea, the United States and the heads of the UN, where South Korea refrained from signing it. Since 1953, there has been regular joint military exercise between South Korea and the US, while North Korea has been occasionally launching missiles. To safeguard South Korea from any attack from the North, young South Korean men and women are required to attend mandatory military training, where these younger generations have to accept it and comply with the law for almost two years. There are numerous allegations of sexual violence and rapes within the military training establishments in South Korea, where female cadets fall victims of their fellow South Koreans as well as American trainers. Number of serious injuries and even death during military training though is pretty low, but it never gets into the attention of the media as the authorities maintain strict secrecy of these issues of sexual violence, rapes, serious injuries and deaths.
But the matter is a generator of debate in Korean society. The latest controversy focused on 137 Koreans presenting false epilepsy medical reports to get an exemption from being drafted. And it comes as a surprise to no one that there are those keen to opt out.
According to one participant of the mandatory military training, which resonates with many Koreans, the main reasons to avoid the military are the isolation of being away from one’s home environment, the hard time readjusting back to daily life afterwards, and the risk of having to take part in the case an actual armed conflict breaks out.
It is commonly encouraged to do military service after freshman or first year of college. This inevitably means taking at least a year and a half out of university. Also, to participants, even though military service is a reality, the standard is not high.
Moreover, men have a common perception of the military based on past stories and shocking incidents. It is usual among young men to share stories about suicides or mass shootings of soldiers within the military bases, due mainly to stress. Just in 2021, a Navy trainee committed suicide after reporting bullying without receiving any support from his superiors. Prior to that, in 2015 a reserve soldier opened fire on his colleagues, wounding three and killing two, right before committing suicide. As a result, an increasing number of young Koreans – both male and female – are attempting to avoid military service, which has reopened the latest debate surrounding mandatory military service. For finding a permanent solution to this issue, the only option remains at normalization of relations between South Korea and North Korea and bring the threats of another Korean War to a peaceful and demilitarized conclusion.
South Korean authorities should not step into the trap of a third world war.
