UK military is all volunteers now: conscription ended in 1960. Sounds like recruits get paid a lot more here than in South Korea! Both men and women can join (nearly) every branch. In addition to a fitness test, there are also interviews, psychometic tests and background checks. It's quite involved.
Talking to some of my Korean male friends, they were somewhat resentful of the fact that they had to spend nearly 2 years in the military, but women didn't. They felt that this gave women an advantage in the workplace, because the men were removed from the equation for so long.
I was one of the last group of draftees in the U.S. Looking back I realize it was a tremendous maturing experience and an opportunity to give something back to a country that gave me tremendous opportunities to succeed in life. Military service instills an appreciate for the sacrifice of those that gave everything to give us the hope of a better future. Freedom isn't free.
I have an interesting story. I was born in Korea and my parents immigrated to America when I was about 5 years old. I didn't visit Korea again until I was about 28 years old. I decided the following year to move to Korea for a couple years to learn more about the culture and language. When I was applying for my visa, I found out my parents never gave up my Korean citizenship. I always wondered if the Korean government was looking for me in Korea to serve in the military but could never find me. Of course I official gave up my Korean citizenship before I could apply for my visa but I thought it was an interesting situation.
iN2CODER Interesting! I don't know what to make of the situation, but perhaps they didn't have enough information about you to contact you about the military service, or there were some other reasons in the system that I don't know about :)
logosfabula It took 1 day 2 nights no sleeping 45 min marching and 15 min resting. with some 20kg +@ soldier's gear and a K-2 rifle but i used M203 grenade launcher some had to carry M60 Machine Gun it was marching to hell XDXD
김영범 Congrats. I've done some long distance walks (350KM to 920KM) but never pushed myself over 40~45 KMs a day. Considering I wasn't wearing ordinance boots, my backpack was less than 15KGs and I could make a pause whenever I felt like so, I can really appreciate your feat.
logosfabula Wow that's awesome! compare 100km, 350~920km? it will be very very hard to march even keeping up 40~45km a day it will be a hell. There is similar marching called "천리행군" i think it's about 400km marching. still only special forces and some division only do. I fully respect you sir :)
김영범 And I salute you as well my friend! I dream of doing a march in the beautiful Korea one day, too. Among the footpaths, I heard of 제주도의 올레길, which must be enchanting. However, I'd love to make a long distance walk in the peninsula.
thank you so much Oppa and Hyojin for the informations because my friends are doing Army now and I was wanted to know many things which is all answered here - -
I'd be interested to know what Korean Sociologists have found from studying the military obligation. Certainly there are scholarly journals that have studied this because it's a life event for all Korean men.
Israel's IDF (Israeli Defense Force) is mandatory and compulsory to all men and women at the age of 18. Men serve roughly 3 years while women serve a little less than 2.9 years. Both men and women can be drafted to combat focused roles, as well as information and so on, and the ranks are open to all as well. Arab and Ultra Orthodox men and women do not have to serve, however they can volunteer through special programs. If you are not fitted to serve (either medical or personal reasons) you can volunteer for "social service", volunteering either in Hospitals or other organizations, to contribute to the Israeli society.
I have a question! What are the visitation rules like? Can you visit loved ones in the military and what are the rules regarding outsiders going to visit soldiers? Is it allowed? Are there certain days for it? Does that count as their vacation?
Soldiers are allowed to meet visitors only in the visitor center at the unit he is assigned. There may be some special circumstances that would allow soldiers to spend time with family off base but that's rare.
Visits are only allowed on the weekends or on holidays.. From 9 am to 5 pm. And there's the designated visit area at each base. It doesn't count as a vacation so you can visit like every weekends. And he gotta get the permission for the visit in advance. And whether you know it or not, most of the bases are kind of far away from the main cities so the visitors spends much money, time, and energy. Rules? Rules are just basically still to behave as a soldier with the visitors. Hope this helps. :)
Always curious about this. In Malaysia, students after high school are drafted into a 3 month training program called National Service. Both boys and girls are sent, but not everyone is chosen. My brother and I weren't chosen, but I have friends who were.
it's funny that you talk about having dreams where you're back in the military and can't figure out why... I have dreams like that about high school all the time, but I know how old I am and can't figure out why I'm still there
I kinda wanna go the army for a while. Would be a good break from other stuff and people bothering me...I don't mind the difficult training and crowded residence etc. at all.
I have trying to find more info on this for months no - and now I find this, THANK YOU! My question is what besides money from family are soldiers allowed to receive? Can we send gift boxes with foods or other smaller personal items items? And I read somewhere that mail is searched, is that true? Also you said no phones but what about things like MP3 players for music or audio books?
I'm a male who's interested in Korean Citizenship, but I'm American by birth and hold that citizenship. But if I were to be naturalized and by that means become a Korean citizen, will I have to serve 2 years like a native Korean would?
There's exception for Korean natives who are not born and have Korean citizenship, for example Korean-American and Korean-Japanese and these ethnic Koreans from non-communist states can apply for Korean military but they will check your background for security clearance. I know few Koreans from U.S, Canada, Australia and Japan did their military service in S.Korea. One exception is you must able to speak & write & understand Korean fluently. Btw they don't except ethnic Koreans from China, Russia, Central Asia and Europe & South America due to some regulation.
what about males that are adopted from Korea? I have a friend who was adopted by white parents in the US and he told me he remembered getting a letter when he was 18 to do his military service in Korea. he said his parents had to fight with the Korean embassy. is this common for adopted males?
Your comment is as stupid as me saying something along the lines of "i think that women should work in restaurants as i think they could cook better and so can be useful around the house". *Unless there's a national threat to the country/you share borders with a hostile nation*, no one should be forced to waste two years of their life to training in the military.
Dearest first of all ....S.Korea does share borders with a dangerous country and second do u know that the concept of metrosexual men is very common nowadaysand so....hmmm no further explaination needed as let's just keep our opinions to ourselves.......and ya if my comment is stupid and u r a smarty pants then y u replying...it just makes u even more stupider..........and ya please dont reply coz i ain't interested in wht u say....
lol you really need to learn English and grammar, its 'more stupid', there is no 'stupider' in the English language dictionary. By fighting me thinking your right and not actually studying to get the right answer, makes tremendously stupid. peace out
If I married a korean and had half korean children and lived in Korea, would my children have to serve? Just curious! I've been hearing conflicting things :(
hyun woo, 1) do u get being yelled all sorts of Korean expletives by army sergeants and officers while at vigorous army training? I am referring to Angry Words filled by Fxxx words "wake up all you soldiers' ideas" from Korean Sgts and officers :) 2) how is your tae kwon-do skills after entering military service now?
Here in Spain when I was younger the service was obligatory too, only nine months, but I avoided it through extensions for study (actually I had no problem to do it) When the times came for me the law changed and the army became profesional so I had not to do it then. Here the army paid a little when was obligatory. But there are a difference, you had another option called "objetor of conciencia" (conscientious objector) where you could do another services to society in others volunteers task like ranger, civil defense or red cross.
My home country Estonia has the service too. It's very similar but for us it's only less than a year. i was 11 months which was the maximum. I was scared because I was not strong at all... rather unhealthy even. But I'm glad I didn't try to get away from it. It was useful in many ways. There was lot's of fun times too but sometimes you have to deal with inescapable boredom.
Can you please please please make a video about the different summer intensive Korean Language programs offered by the some of the universities in Seoul?? (Like KU, SNU, Ewha, Yonsei, etc) ^_^
+ray ray does clay You have to decide whether to do your military service and become a Korean citizen or give up your Korean citizenship and remain a "foreigner".
+TalkToMeInKorean what if your half korean do you still go military? and can you decide to go military at an even younger age like 16?. thanks for replying earlier 😊
if u move to south korea very young... like as a really small children, become a citizen and are raised there but still not born but live your entire live there and have both of your parents be Korean ...then do you do military service ... you know hypathetical speaking
I am kind of obssessed(-ish?) with BigBang's managers right now, and there's this one guy that served as a soldier of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, so I was kinda wondering how do people go there? I mean like all that 육군 and 해병대 and police officer and all that are still in Korea right? But do those other people who serve in the UN just... get send off??
+Nikki Zhang Certain divisions get notified from higher department to pick out recruitment for UNIFIL. The recruitment will get interviewed and tested physically or w/e and if they're good enough then after training they'll get sent. But the recruitment really happens secretly and only few gets selected because it's a cool job in a way so they don't want hundreds of appliers.
What do you know about conscientious objectors? As far as I've observed, South Korea has a stronger Christian presence than other Asian countries, so how are conscientious objectors dealt with as opposed to someone just trying to wiggle their way out of service?
Omi Monstar Thousands of conscientious objectors have been imprisoned in Korea so far, and you can read more about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientious_objector#South_Korea
Hyunwoo Sun Thank you for replying. This is a topic that I have great interest in. Additionally, is the stigma associated with conscientious objectors is the same as those who figured a way out of service? You said that those that you knew personally felt a shame of sorts in their everyday lives. From what I read (from the link) those conscientious objectors cannot work government positions, or get any sort of government certification. Is this also the same for men who make themselves ineligible for conscription?
Omi Monstar I have never met any conscientious objectors in person before, so I really don't know anything about how they feel or what their thoughts are, but as for those who 'make' themselves ineligible for conscription, it really depends on the person, but I've seen some of them feeling a little bit embarrassed to talk about it, but as for those who wanted to enlist but HAD TO do a substitute service because of their physical conditions, they don't have to and don't feel much 'shame' :)
Hyunwoo Sun I am a Jehovah's Witness and these links might be interesting for you. They focus specifically on military service in South Korea and conscientious objectors. It "updates" the link above. Do you agree with them? www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/world/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/ www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/south-korea/unjust-imprisonment-conscientious-objectors/ www.jw.org/en/news/by-region/asia/south-korea/alternative-service-favored-over-imprisonment/
I'm quite confused here...so those who're not physically ready to do the training will get the substitute training instead, so my question is what could those who avoided the military service have done, if they're not unhealthy or handicapped, to avoid the whole service since there r many plenty other choices to choose? I really wonder what the conditions r...
I think I'd also note,. that even though a Korean person is not required to serve again,. the fact that men have been "Trained" in any military combat or use of fire arms, is a benefit to the country as a whole, so that if in the event something bad happens, every man, regardless of active military status, has the ability to defend himself, his family, and his country. Even though not required, I think it would be a good idea to require a short "Boot camp" for the women. Just to be able to defend oneself.
Sxxx.. you're 200% right.. The idea of women boot camp is one of the things we want from Korean women.. Not just for men but just for themselves and for Korea. But since war has not yet restarted(?), it's not going to change anything.. i am sadly sure...T-T
I have a question. After the mandatory 2 years of mandatory military service, can I join another country's military such as the US military without punishment?
Yes how do the Korean people and service members feel about working with the US military that is there or who are stationed there and training together? When I was there we worked with korean Marines and had a great time working along side each other. There were also a few protesters but mostly people treated us very kindly and almost like celebrities even more respectful than people in the states, 감사합니다.
In the kdrama ''Master's Sun'' a guy ran away from the military because it was really hard but guess that depends on what kind of people you have around you
In the US of course joining the military is optional. However, all men at the age of 18 are required to sign up for the draft, much like the Korean system. Men may go their whole lives without being required to join the military -- however, in the event that large-scale war was to break out, your draft number could be called and you could be forced to join the military. I'm not sure for how long that requirement is, as most of the men in my family have all served voluntarily. And the last time that that happened was during the Vietnam War, and was met with violent protest. Men would burn their draft cards and get arrested for it :/ Oh, and men and women are able to join any branch, even in the enlisted corps, but it was only recently (like, within the last 5 to 10 years) that women were permitted to be in combat positions.
As far as the internet issues, I had a language exchange friend that I meant like 3 years ago. We would talk all the time through emails and KaTalk, all of sudden, I didn't hear from him anymore, for like a year. Then, just recently, like a month ago, he contacted me, via internet, and told me he was serving military duties! Although, I haven't heard from him since. He still has 1 more year or so! :( So they're using the internet or either he was on "vacation"...
it is really intresting watching this as russian-israeli girl and compare it with what i know about serving in Russia and Israel, and to my own 2 years in the Israeli army.
All Singaporean males are also being conscripted like Koreans. We have a full-time national service of 2 years. It is still life goes-on for us and it definitely strengthened our body and mind. ;]
Would it be possible to be enlisted at the same time and section of your friends? Idk, I just feel like not being alone in that situation would be so much better.
Hyo jin at times reminds me of the actress Gong Hyo Jin,. I just realized they have the same name,.(I was watching this and looked up the actress from a drama I watched) Man,. That is a cooincience! Hyo Jin is really very pretty. I wonder if she is related to the actress.
if you have Dual nationality, with one parent as a Korean and you live out of South Korea, are you still required to go for military service? also i had a South Korean friend who facebooked me during his inlistment, he said that they were alowed to use the internet for two hours. is this ture?
Actually I believe the law as changed in 2013. If a foreigner moves to South Korea and wants to become an actual Korean citizen they now have to do the military service. I'm not %100 sure, but I believe I saw it on the qiranger youtube channel.
Can korean army use their cellphones? How ? And how often can korean army use computer and how they managed to do that are they given a certain time and does everyone gets the same opportunity?
you stated that no one gets away from military service, but to my knowledge (correct me if I'm wrong) park ji sung didn't do military service and he is definitely fit for it. what is the reason for him not doing military service if 'no one can get away from the duty'
idk if park jisung won a medal but apparently you are exempt from the army if you win a gold medal in the olympics (thats the only reason i can think of)
I was in 17th INF and it was fun training with lots of American soldiers. them gears freaking bling yo. But they kinda suck at running and hiking. Probably because they put too much hardware on them but we Koreans were all wearing rugsacks too so I don know.
In south korea millitary service is not choice for 20s, is obligation. That's bad but the most shit is millitary cost is enough to buy the weapons, pay to soldiers and etching but many high officers are corrupted so they usurp public money so almost korean milltary is given unfitness treatment.
these days we get 100 US dollars a month.. it's like 50 cents per hour..how's that? lol.. like Hyunwoo said it was worse back then but it's still not way enough.. the government said they're going to increase it but whatever.. they love to say things and not do it..lol... it's the way it is in Korea..T-T how's your pay like then? I was dispatched overseas so I got like 1300 US dollars a month from UN for several months and it was awesome..
It goes by rank, additional pay when required, like for combat role, etc. I had received 800 SGD for the rank of 3rd sergeant after a new increase in pay, non-combat role. More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_service_in_Singapore#Type_of_services But our medical examinations seems more flexible, allowing people to serve as military clerks, servicing/maintenance and more. We can't choose where to go though, unlike Korea.
At 13:13 I think there will ALWAYS be a need even if the 2 Korea were to unify as China is the next in line to defend from... War will never end in this CRAZY world...
I know that there are some who refuse to go for the military service (conscientious objectors) and they are sent to jail. thats not gud, i think someone should have the right to choose whether to go for it or not.
Leah I agree, but South Korea is in a different position where they face the threat of invasion literally everyday. I don't agree with military conscription, but if it's the case with South Korea, then I think it should be allowed.
It probably would never be revived in America, but with how overly obese this country is, I kind of wished that there was compulsory military service as well; at the very least i wouldn't have minded doing it, I think there must be a lot of valuable life lessons that can be learned while serving your country. Besides the fact that that America can't spend less than a month without poking someone, it probably wouldn't be the worst idea in general, but I'm guessing we just have a large enough force that there wouldn't be a need to conscript young men again...oh well.
Yes, he is. He is in the 21st infantry division training. So right now he can only contact me by letter, or by the email boards online for soldiers. But I can't talk to him for a month.
Yep! No cell phones. My boyfriend is training right now so it might be different later, when he is a more experienced soldier. But especially in training, they leave their cellphones at home. And I think they cant reply to the email online, just read it. They can write to you on paper though. I got a letter from my boyfriend yesterday! Sometimes girls who wait on their boyfriends in the military are called 곰신(gomshin)
I've been super curios about this. Say I've done military service in another country (like the American/Canadian army) and I move to Korea, would I still have to do the enlistment there or no because I have a military history already?
CYRONX1 Interesting question, but as a Korean national who hasn't done his military service, I don't think it would be possible to do any military service in another country. Would other countries allow enlistment of a foreign national?
Hyunwoo Sun From what I know myself, here in Canada, foreign nationals can't join unless they have a Canadian citizenship. But if they do, it would take a longer process to join due to security reasons.
I'm not sure if this asked yet but whats the protocol on Korean adoptees who come back to Korea for a short/long period of time to study and the like? I'm an adoptee who is coming this summer for a few weeks to study Korean and am wondering once "I step off the plane" I'll get conscripted lol. My Korean is very basic beginner since I've recently started teaching myself so it would be hard to follow orders aha. P.S. I'd like to come chat at the coffee shop when I'm there and thank you guys at TTMIK for being the best Korean learning resource out on the inter-webs! Hopefully my Korean will be decent then!!
+Clementine Curtis they have age limit, I think at last is 29 y/old, so you can postponed it until you reach age limit then you will have to submit, most people do it while in college because it's so hard to get accepted in college.
In finnish army the soldiers hike for many kilometres in certain amount of time and they need to cross icy lakes by swimming and walk in dark forrest surrounded by bears and other animals. Eh. BUT they have almost every weekend free and they can use phones I guess, I'm not 100 percent sure.
I heard from a korean youtuber who is actually serving in the 곤대 that, when taking a shower, some guards or officials (I don't remember) keep an eye on you in order to make sure you're not gonna kill youself.... That sounds really creepy, is it true?
Ah, ok (now it's not a nonsense)... That's the reason they are teamed up when taking a shower. To assume responsibility for one another's safety. It's a kind of weird...
I didn't mean the buddy sytem is something weird... It isn't at all. Rather than weird I think it's creepy when I see that kind of system and the suicide topic mixed up, my culture is not familiar with that... And that's why I asked that question, because I know nothing about military service.
I'm not sure how often, but yes, they can. My boyfriend's brother is currently in the military and I know that his parents and girlfriend have been able to visit a few times. My boyfriend just applied too and told me to write letters to his home so his mom could bring them to him.
Elena Adams Anna Conti Yes, you definitely can. But if someone gets a visitor too often (like every other weekend or more often), it might seem as if the person were trying to slack off from weekend daytime activities.
WhitestWaters Yeah, compare to normal life in Korea, but not much. Usully they are killed or wounded by accidents or hard training. However some are killed or wounded in action.
+Bill Kang Lmao no one dies there. its just TRAINING in case there would be war again. Its like you say you are a male korean and now you could die in your military service only cause youre male lmao.. Also there is no hard training, like they said, way more less hardcore
They die there. During my service, North Korea infiltrated a submarine in Gangneun. In pursuit, there are 11 KIA and 27 wounded from South Korea army. There is no total war between North and South Korea, however small battles are occurring continuously. most case of death in training are like heat exhaustion or heart attack can happen in heavy exercise. Sometimes can be killed in "Hardcore" training. Recently two soldiers were killed by suffocation during counter torture training.
My friend said it wasnt as bad as many people say. Sometimes it was very chill and well yeah some stressful days but they pass quickly..In the beginning he was scared but after that he was happy and very thankful to get that experience
Why is it horrible? I believe that it's a great honor and shows your devotion and patriotism to your country(but then again, I'm a proud American, and am joining the Marine Corps in 3 years).
My boyfriend doesn't have to go to the army, so there is a case like that kkk And my other korean friend only did the first month and now he is taking care of mentally ill children for 5-6 months because his dad got rewarded, so that his son doesn't have to do his duty for 2 years. And I also read Shinhwa's Hyesung is the same case because he injured his knee and had a surgery. There are always exceptions.
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I'm due in the military next Jan.. Nervous as hell, but I just remind myself that it's just part of being a Korean. Wish me luck, guys.
don't drop the soap
don't fumble with your assault rifle at firing range :)
Good luck, stay safe
제대 2달남으셨네요 ㅠㅠ 전 내년에 군대갈텐데
any updates?
UK military is all volunteers now: conscription ended in 1960. Sounds like recruits get paid a lot more here than in South Korea! Both men and women can join (nearly) every branch.
In addition to a fitness test, there are also interviews, psychometic tests and background checks. It's quite involved.
the reason why it's not voluntary in korea is because they are in an "active warzone" with north korea
Going through mandatory military service myself and can relate sooooo much. Interesting to hear the differences between militaries.
Talking to some of my Korean male friends, they were somewhat resentful of the fact that they had to spend nearly 2 years in the military, but women didn't. They felt that this gave women an advantage in the workplace, because the men were removed from the equation for so long.
That's so right...
That's how every Korean man feels like..
But there's nothing we could do..
It's the way it is in Korea..-0-
I was one of the last group of draftees in the U.S. Looking back I realize it was a tremendous maturing experience and an opportunity to give something back to a country that gave me tremendous opportunities to succeed in life. Military service instills an appreciate for the sacrifice of those that gave everything to give us the hope of a better future. Freedom isn't free.
Thank you for your service!!!
Let me pay you back in 3 years as a Marine, sir!
Wow, very interesting and informative! I love the "Ask Hyojin" series! ^^
I have an interesting story. I was born in Korea and my parents immigrated to America when I was about 5 years old. I didn't visit Korea again until I was about 28 years old. I decided the following year to move to Korea for a couple years to learn more about the culture and language. When I was applying for my visa, I found out my parents never gave up my Korean citizenship. I always wondered if the Korean government was looking for me in Korea to serve in the military but could never find me. Of course I official gave up my Korean citizenship before I could apply for my visa but I thought it was an interesting situation.
iN2CODER Interesting! I don't know what to make of the situation, but perhaps they didn't have enough information about you to contact you about the military service, or there were some other reasons in the system that I don't know about :)
What if the person is in that age range but homeless? I know there must be people unfortunate enough to be in that situation.
Before I even watch the video I have to say that thumbnail of Hyojin is adorable ^_^
Korean Army service is almost the same as Singapore but the recruits are paid basic at $408.
Thank you so much
I've a question
Is there any difference between girlfriends & wives if they wanted to visitd s.o in the military?
Topless running in december(in a mountain), Marching 100Km, Shooting, exercising, man....i remember those days....it was tough, hard.
How long did it took to march 100KM?
logosfabula It took 1 day 2 nights no sleeping 45 min marching and 15 min resting. with some 20kg +@ soldier's gear and a K-2 rifle but i used M203 grenade launcher some had to carry M60 Machine Gun it was marching to hell XDXD
김영범 Congrats. I've done some long distance walks (350KM to 920KM) but never pushed myself over 40~45 KMs a day. Considering I wasn't wearing ordinance boots, my backpack was less than 15KGs and I could make a pause whenever I felt like so, I can really appreciate your feat.
logosfabula Wow that's awesome! compare 100km, 350~920km? it will be very very hard to march even keeping up 40~45km a day it will be a hell. There is similar marching called "천리행군" i think it's about 400km marching. still only special forces and some division only do. I fully respect you sir :)
김영범 And I salute you as well my friend! I dream of doing a march in the beautiful Korea one day, too. Among the footpaths, I heard of 제주도의 올레길, which must be enchanting. However, I'd love to make a long distance walk in the peninsula.
I have wanted to know about this topic for a while now. So thank you TTMIK :)
Do couples stay faithful when the male is doing his service? lol just curious, it would seem frustrating since it's 2 years
Ki Muse They might be on a break, probably depends on each couple individually tho
A lot of women are known to cheat on their boyfriends during their military service.
Cheating is pretty common place in Korean couples anyways, military service or not so yes it might be the case .
thank you so much Oppa and Hyojin for the informations because my friends are doing Army now and I was wanted to know many things which is all answered here - -
The military service thing was bugging me lately so thank you for all the informations :)
I wish the UK had Military Service lol but only for like a year.
I'd be interested to know what Korean Sociologists have found from studying the military obligation. Certainly there are scholarly journals that have studied this because it's a life event for all Korean men.
What an interesting thing! This also reminded me a lot about Goffman's studies about Total Institutions!
Israel's IDF (Israeli Defense Force) is mandatory and compulsory to all men and women at the age of 18. Men serve roughly 3 years while women serve a little less than 2.9 years. Both men and women can be drafted to combat focused roles, as well as information and so on, and the ranks are open to all as well. Arab and Ultra Orthodox men and women do not have to serve, however they can volunteer through special programs. If you are not fitted to serve (either medical or personal reasons) you can volunteer for "social service", volunteering either in Hospitals or other organizations, to contribute to the Israeli society.
We had one until the 90's in France, but only 10 months :)
In the 80s, most military conscripts were beaten and physically abused as part of their training. Does this still happen?
Yes, that make them aggressive & strong. But abusing is far less now days due to anti-corruption policy.
Very interesting and informative video xD Thank you Hyojin!
It's so funny how Hyunwoo-sshi ALWAYS pick on you and others about anything XD haha
I have a question! What are the visitation rules like? Can you visit loved ones in the military and what are the rules regarding outsiders going to visit soldiers? Is it allowed? Are there certain days for it? Does that count as their vacation?
Soldiers are allowed to meet visitors only in the visitor center at the unit he is assigned. There may be some special circumstances that would allow soldiers to spend time with family off base but that's rare.
Visits are only allowed on the weekends or on holidays.. From 9 am to 5 pm. And there's the designated visit area at each base. It doesn't count as a vacation so you can visit like every weekends. And he gotta get the permission for the visit in advance. And whether you know it or not, most of the bases are kind of far away from the main cities so the visitors spends much money, time, and energy. Rules? Rules are just basically still to behave as a soldier with the visitors. Hope this helps. :)
I learned alot from this video, thank you !
Always curious about this. In Malaysia, students after high school are drafted into a 3 month training program called National Service. Both boys and girls are sent, but not everyone is chosen. My brother and I weren't chosen, but I have friends who were.
it's funny that you talk about having dreams where you're back in the military and can't figure out why... I have dreams like that about high school all the time, but I know how old I am and can't figure out why I'm still there
In the U.S. you can volunteer for military service which I'm going to do. :)
I kinda wanna go the army for a while. Would be a good break from other stuff and people bothering me...I don't mind the difficult training and crowded residence etc. at all.
I have trying to find more info on this for months no - and now I find this, THANK YOU! My question is what besides money from family are soldiers allowed to receive? Can we send gift boxes with foods or other smaller personal items items? And I read somewhere that mail is searched, is that true? Also you said no phones but what about things like MP3 players for music or audio books?
I'm a male who's interested in Korean Citizenship, but I'm American by birth and hold that citizenship. But if I were to be naturalized and by that means become a Korean citizen, will I have to serve 2 years like a native Korean would?
There's exception for Korean natives who are not born and have Korean citizenship, for example Korean-American and Korean-Japanese and these ethnic Koreans from non-communist states can apply for Korean military but they will check your background for security clearance. I know few Koreans from U.S, Canada, Australia and Japan did their military service in S.Korea. One exception is you must able to speak & write & understand Korean fluently. Btw they don't except ethnic Koreans from China, Russia, Central Asia and Europe & South America due to some regulation.
Military service, or what we call here in Singapore, National service, is compulsory too. Boys who reach age of 18 get enlisted.
what about males that are adopted from Korea? I have a friend who was adopted by white parents in the US and he told me he remembered getting a letter when he was 18 to do his military service in Korea. he said his parents had to fight with the Korean embassy. is this common for adopted males?
I think its a good thing tht men do military service as I think thy bcome stronger and so can b v.useful to d country when needed
Your comment is as stupid as me saying something along the lines of "i think that women should work in restaurants as i think they could cook better and so can be useful around the house". *Unless there's a national threat to the country/you share borders with a hostile nation*, no one should be forced to waste two years of their life to training in the military.
Dearest first of all ....S.Korea does share borders with a dangerous country and second do u know that the concept of metrosexual men is very common nowadaysand so....hmmm no further explaination needed as let's just keep our opinions to ourselves.......and ya if my comment is stupid and u r a smarty pants then y u replying...it just makes u even more stupider..........and ya please dont reply coz i ain't interested in wht u say....
Fatima Damad 'more stupider' isn't a word/statement
Oh yes it is dear....it's a comparative adjective ...u just lost the argument.....peace out
lol you really need to learn English and grammar, its 'more stupid', there is no 'stupider' in the English language dictionary. By fighting me thinking your right and not actually studying to get the right answer, makes tremendously stupid. peace out
Singapore also have compulsory military service, it's nice to know what military service is like on the other side of the world
If I married a korean and had half korean children and lived in Korea, would my children have to serve? Just curious! I've been hearing conflicting things :(
hyun woo,
1) do u get being yelled all sorts of Korean expletives by army sergeants and officers while at vigorous army training? I am referring to Angry Words filled by Fxxx words "wake up all you soldiers' ideas" from Korean Sgts and officers :)
2) how is your tae kwon-do skills after entering military service now?
Here in Spain when I was younger the service was obligatory too, only nine months, but I avoided it through extensions for study (actually I had no problem to do it) When the times came for me the law changed and the army became profesional so I had not to do it then. Here the army paid a little when was obligatory. But there are a difference, you had another option called "objetor of conciencia" (conscientious objector) where you could do another services to society in others volunteers task like ranger, civil defense or red cross.
My home country Estonia has the service too. It's very similar but for us it's only less than a year. i was 11 months which was the maximum. I was scared because I was not strong at all... rather unhealthy even. But I'm glad I didn't try to get away from it. It was useful in many ways. There was lot's of fun times too but sometimes you have to deal with inescapable boredom.
Can you please please please make a video about the different summer intensive Korean Language programs offered by the some of the universities in Seoul?? (Like KU, SNU, Ewha, Yonsei, etc) ^_^
I think its changed I have a few penpals who are constantly posting photos in their military uniforms.
what if your korean but you were brought up in another country do you still have to go to the military in korea?
+ray ray does clay You have to decide whether to do your military service and become a Korean citizen or give up your Korean citizenship and remain a "foreigner".
+TalkToMeInKorean what if your half korean do you still go military? and can you decide to go military at an even younger age like 16?. thanks for replying earlier 😊
if u move to south korea very young... like as a really small children, become a citizen and are raised there but still not born but live your entire live there and have both of your parents be Korean ...then do you do military service ...
you know hypathetical speaking
I am kind of obssessed(-ish?) with BigBang's managers right now, and there's this one guy that served as a soldier of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, so I was kinda wondering how do people go there? I mean like all that 육군 and 해병대 and police officer and all that are still in Korea right? But do those other people who serve in the UN just... get send off??
+Nikki Zhang Certain divisions get notified from higher department to pick out recruitment for UNIFIL. The recruitment will get interviewed and tested physically or w/e and if they're good enough then after training they'll get sent. But the recruitment really happens secretly and only few gets selected because it's a cool job in a way so they don't want hundreds of appliers.
What do you know about conscientious objectors? As far as I've observed, South Korea has a stronger Christian presence than other Asian countries, so how are conscientious objectors dealt with as opposed to someone just trying to wiggle their way out of service?
Omi Monstar Thousands of conscientious objectors have been imprisoned in Korea so far, and you can read more about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientious_objector#South_Korea
Hyunwoo Sun
Thank you for replying. This is a topic that I have great interest in. Additionally, is the stigma associated with conscientious objectors is the same as those who figured a way out of service? You said that those that you knew personally felt a shame of sorts in their everyday lives. From what I read (from the link) those conscientious objectors cannot work government positions, or get any sort of government certification. Is this also the same for men who make themselves ineligible for conscription?
Omi Monstar I have never met any conscientious objectors in person before, so I really don't know anything about how they feel or what their thoughts are, but as for those who 'make' themselves ineligible for conscription, it really depends on the person, but I've seen some of them feeling a little bit embarrassed to talk about it, but as for those who wanted to enlist but HAD TO do a substitute service because of their physical conditions, they don't have to and don't feel much 'shame' :)
Hyunwoo Sun
I am a Jehovah's Witness and these links might be interesting for you. They focus specifically on military service in South Korea and conscientious objectors. It "updates" the link above. Do you agree with them?
www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/world/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/
www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/south-korea/unjust-imprisonment-conscientious-objectors/
www.jw.org/en/news/by-region/asia/south-korea/alternative-service-favored-over-imprisonment/
Thanks sis!
I'm quite confused here...so those who're not physically ready to do the training will get the substitute training instead, so my question is what could those who avoided the military service have done, if they're not unhealthy or handicapped, to avoid the whole service since there r many plenty other choices to choose? I really wonder what the conditions r...
I think I'd also note,. that even though a Korean person is not required to serve again,. the fact that men have been "Trained" in any military combat or use of fire arms, is a benefit to the country as a whole, so that if in the event something bad happens, every man, regardless of active military status, has the ability to defend himself, his family, and his country. Even though not required, I think it would be a good idea to require a short "Boot camp" for the women. Just to be able to defend oneself.
Sxxx.. you're 200% right..
The idea of women boot camp is one of the things we want from Korean women.. Not just for men but just for themselves and for Korea.
But since war has not yet restarted(?), it's not going to change anything.. i am sadly sure...T-T
Women in S.Korea should be required to do military service too for the sake of equality.
Given your interest in Korea you should check out this BBC story: www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27189951
ThinkingApe-TV Or it should be voluntary for everyone, for the sake of equality.
Thinking-Ape well, the women of North Korea have to serve in the military. :-)
Inquisitve m well the people of North Korea are living under a dictatorship :-)
correct
I have a question. After the mandatory 2 years of mandatory military service, can I join another country's military such as the US military without punishment?
Yes how do the Korean people and service members feel about working with the US military that is there or who are stationed there and training together? When I was there we worked with korean Marines and had a great time working along side each other. There were also a few protesters but mostly people treated us very kindly and almost like celebrities even more respectful than people in the states, 감사합니다.
In the kdrama ''Master's Sun'' a guy ran away from the military because it was really hard but guess that depends on what kind of people you have around you
19:38 Hyojin says "cosmetics for soldiers". Chinjja???
In the US of course joining the military is optional. However, all men at the age of 18 are required to sign up for the draft, much like the Korean system. Men may go their whole lives without being required to join the military -- however, in the event that large-scale war was to break out, your draft number could be called and you could be forced to join the military. I'm not sure for how long that requirement is, as most of the men in my family have all served voluntarily. And the last time that that happened was during the Vietnam War, and was met with violent protest. Men would burn their draft cards and get arrested for it :/ Oh, and men and women are able to join any branch, even in the enlisted corps, but it was only recently (like, within the last 5 to 10 years) that women were permitted to be in combat positions.
Can you smoke during military service (in the site)?
Are there week breaks? (holiday on saturday or sunday?)
Appreciate any help :)
+mipp_sharing You can smoke, and you have weekend breaks, but not like total off-duty days.
I had some friends who did their military service as officers and not enlisted. How are these achieved?
They went to military cadet school, they are even hard core than normal military service.
I'm being curious... could foreign girls go to Korea's military service either? Or can there only go Korean girls?
Singapore is really small country, (maybe even the smallest) but our population needs everyone to go as well.. Korea seems bigger to me so yeah >
As far as the internet issues, I had a language exchange friend that I meant like 3 years ago. We would talk all the time through emails and KaTalk, all of sudden, I didn't hear from him anymore, for like a year. Then, just recently, like a month ago, he contacted me, via internet, and told me he was serving military duties! Although, I haven't heard from him since. He still has 1 more year or so! :( So they're using the internet or either he was on "vacation"...
it is really intresting watching this as russian-israeli girl and compare it with what i know about serving in Russia and Israel, and to my own 2 years in the Israeli army.
All Singaporean males are also being conscripted like Koreans. We have a full-time national service of 2 years. It is still life goes-on for us and it definitely strengthened our body and mind. ;]
Would it be possible to be enlisted at the same time and section of your friends? Idk, I just feel like not being alone in that situation would be so much better.
What do you say to congratulate somebody who is finishing their military service ?
“전역 축하해요.” :)
Does anyone know renouncing Korean citizenship will void Korean military service?
Hyo jin at times reminds me of the actress Gong Hyo Jin,. I just realized they have the same name,.(I was watching this and looked up the actress from a drama I watched) Man,. That is a cooincience! Hyo Jin is really very pretty. I wonder if she is related to the actress.
if you have Dual nationality, with one parent as a Korean and you live out of South Korea, are you still required to go for military service?
also i had a South Korean friend who facebooked me during his inlistment, he said that they were alowed to use the internet for two hours. is this ture?
So if you are a foreign citizen in South Korea, is it still required to serve?
Actually I believe the law as changed in 2013. If a foreigner moves to South Korea and wants to become an actual Korean citizen they now have to do the military service. I'm not %100 sure, but I believe I saw it on the qiranger youtube channel.
So much like Singapore's military service!
Can korean army use their cellphones? How ? And how often can korean army use computer and how they managed to do that are they given a certain time and does everyone gets the same opportunity?
were they talking about MC Mong?
if your from a different ethnicity and just emigrated can you still work for them even without the citizenship?
you stated that no one gets away from military service, but to my knowledge (correct me if I'm wrong) park ji sung didn't do military service and he is definitely fit for it. what is the reason for him not doing military service if 'no one can get away from the duty'
idk if park jisung won a medal but apparently you are exempt from the army if you win a gold medal in the olympics (thats the only reason i can think of)
what do actors do during the day in military service since their vication isnt useful to the army?
I was in 17th INF and it was fun training with lots of American soldiers. them gears freaking bling yo. But they kinda suck at running and hiking. Probably because they put too much hardware on them but we Koreans were all wearing rugsacks too so I don know.
Can you use phones inside? (Unlimited/Limit/Only during break etc.)
In south korea millitary service is not choice for 20s, is obligation. That's bad but the most shit is millitary cost is enough to buy the weapons, pay to soldiers and etching but many high officers are corrupted so they usurp public money so almost korean milltary is given unfitness treatment.
Wait the South Korean brass is like that??
I have served for 2 years in Singapore, but we don't get paid that low.
these days we get 100 US dollars a month..
it's like 50 cents per hour..how's that? lol..
like Hyunwoo said it was worse back then but it's still not way enough..
the government said they're going to increase it but whatever..
they love to say things and not do it..lol...
it's the way it is in Korea..T-T
how's your pay like then?
I was dispatched overseas so I got like 1300 US dollars a month from UN for several months and it was awesome..
It goes by rank, additional pay when required, like for combat role, etc.
I had received 800 SGD for the rank of 3rd sergeant after a new increase in pay, non-combat role. More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_service_in_Singapore#Type_of_services
But our medical examinations seems more flexible, allowing people to serve as military clerks, servicing/maintenance and more.
We can't choose where to go though, unlike Korea.
At 13:13 I think there will ALWAYS be a need even if the 2 Korea were to unify as China is the next in line to defend from... War will never end in this CRAZY world...
I know that there are some who refuse to go for the military service (conscientious objectors) and they are sent to jail. thats not gud, i think someone should have the right to choose whether to go for it or not.
then nobody would do it...
KPopsicleSNSD that's so right!!!!!! :)
+JM Kim but that kinda defeats the whole purpose of having mandatory service in the first place
Leah I agree, but South Korea is in a different position where they face the threat of invasion literally everyday. I don't agree with military conscription, but if it's the case with South Korea, then I think it should be allowed.
Eren Jaeger what? i think i didn't fully understand your comment there... i am sorry.. -0- please paraphrase your point? :)
It probably would never be revived in America, but with how overly obese this country is, I kind of wished that there was compulsory military service as well; at the very least i wouldn't have minded doing it, I think there must be a lot of valuable life lessons that can be learned while serving your country. Besides the fact that that America can't spend less than a month without poking someone, it probably wouldn't be the worst idea in general, but I'm guessing we just have a large enough force that there wouldn't be a need to conscript young men again...oh well.
if you are a korean but cannot speak, write and understand korean cause you grew up overseas, what are they suppose to do?
When the guys get into army, do they get weekend offs to get back home? And can they use phone in there?
Cherry Simmy they can use phone and Facebook. At least my boyfriend can. Not every day though. On free time. And they have vacations
Cherry Simmy your boyfriend is korean?
Yes, he is. He is in the 21st infantry division training. So right now he can only contact me by letter, or by the email boards online for soldiers. But I can't talk to him for a month.
나서린이 so thats mean they can't use cellphones? Only letters and email?
Yep! No cell phones. My boyfriend is training right now so it might be different later, when he is a more experienced soldier. But especially in training, they leave their cellphones at home. And I think they cant reply to the email online, just read it. They can write to you on paper though. I got a letter from my boyfriend yesterday! Sometimes girls who wait on their boyfriends in the military are called 곰신(gomshin)
I've been super curios about this. Say I've done military service in another country (like the American/Canadian army) and I move to Korea, would I still have to do the enlistment there or no because I have a military history already?
CYRONX1 Interesting question, but as a Korean national who hasn't done his military service, I don't think it would be possible to do any military service in another country. Would other countries allow enlistment of a foreign national?
Hyunwoo Sun From what I know myself, here in Canada, foreign nationals can't join unless they have a Canadian citizenship. But if they do, it would take a longer process to join due to security reasons.
Why is it that some topics most Koreans shy away from, especially about government policies?
Why don't you mention 'Public Service(공익근무)' ?
I'm not sure if this asked yet but whats the protocol on Korean adoptees who come back to Korea for a short/long period of time to study and the like? I'm an adoptee who is coming this summer for a few weeks to study Korean and am wondering once "I step off the plane" I'll get conscripted lol. My Korean is very basic beginner since I've recently started teaching myself so it would be hard to follow orders aha.
P.S. I'd like to come chat at the coffee shop when I'm there and thank you guys at TTMIK for being the best Korean learning resource out on the inter-webs! Hopefully my Korean will be decent then!!
Is the maximum age for service 30 years in Korean age or in universal age?
Are the military bases spread out across South Korean peninsula or are they clustered along the DMZ?
NotMykl I can say both. More than half are clustered along the DMZ, last of them are spread out across.
can't you enlist in military service AFTER university?? or they force you during university??
+Clementine Curtis they have age limit, I think at last is 29 y/old, so you can postponed it until you reach age limit then you will have to submit, most people do it while in college because it's so hard to get accepted in college.
In finnish army the soldiers hike for many kilometres in certain amount of time and they need to cross icy lakes by swimming and walk in dark forrest surrounded by bears and other animals. Eh. BUT they have almost every weekend free and they can use phones I guess, I'm not 100 percent sure.
I heard from a korean youtuber who is actually serving in the 곤대 that, when taking a shower, some guards or officials (I don't remember) keep an eye on you in order to make sure you're not gonna kill youself.... That sounds really creepy, is it true?
Ah, ok (now it's not a nonsense)... That's the reason they are teamed up when taking a shower. To assume responsibility for one another's safety. It's a kind of weird...
I didn't mean the buddy sytem is something weird... It isn't at all. Rather than weird I think it's creepy when I see that kind of system and the suicide topic mixed up, my culture is not familiar with that... And that's why I asked that question, because I know nothing about military service.
question!
if there comes a time in wich your country is in danger will you be drafted back to help stop the danger or fight?
Can you visit someone who's doing military service in Korea? Like your boyfriend or your brother.
I'm not sure how often, but yes, they can. My boyfriend's brother is currently in the military and I know that his parents and girlfriend have been able to visit a few times. My boyfriend just applied too and told me to write letters to his home so his mom could bring them to him.
Elena Adams Anna Conti Yes, you definitely can. But if someone gets a visitor too often (like every other weekend or more often), it might seem as if the person were trying to slack off from weekend daytime activities.
Can you send letters to soldiers in the Army & does it apply to KATUSA soldiers?
+riikalynn Yes, you can send letters to any soldier :)
Where can i find out about how to go about doing it? Cant seem to find the info online
Is military service dangerous? Do a lot of people die or come back wounded?
WhitestWaters Yeah, compare to normal life in Korea, but not much. Usully they are killed or wounded by accidents or hard training. However some are killed or wounded in action.
+Bill Kang Lmao no one dies there. its just TRAINING in case there would be war again. Its like you say you are a male korean and now you could die in your military service only cause youre male lmao.. Also there is no hard training, like they said, way more less hardcore
They die there. During my service, North Korea infiltrated a submarine in Gangneun. In pursuit, there are 11 KIA and 27 wounded from South Korea army.
There is no total war between North and South Korea, however small battles are occurring continuously.
most case of death in training are like heat exhaustion or heart attack can happen in heavy exercise. Sometimes can be killed in "Hardcore" training.
Recently two soldiers were killed by suffocation during counter torture training.
My friend said it wasnt as bad as many people say. Sometimes it was very chill and well yeah some stressful days but they pass quickly..In the beginning he was scared but after that he was happy and very thankful to get that experience
+xreforged You friend is right. It was not that hard.
i have a question, If I'm foreigner and I will going to live/Work in Korea, Am I required to go to that military service?
+sherwink escuton they answered the question. No you dont.
what do you think about KATUSA's?
KATUSA is way better in a lot of ways.
But it's by lot and you get only one chance.
JM Kim
thanks for the response.
What singer was they talking about? Someone that know?
I'm curious too
Yoo Seung Jun
If u r American, not korean, and u move to Korea, do u need to serve in the military???
Nope :)
As a Canadian I think military duty is horrible...
Why is it horrible? I believe that it's a great honor and shows your devotion and patriotism to your country(but then again, I'm a proud American, and am joining the Marine Corps in 3 years).
My boyfriend doesn't have to go to the army, so there is a case like that kkk And my other korean friend only did the first month and now he is taking care of mentally ill children for 5-6 months because his dad got rewarded, so that his son doesn't have to do his duty for 2 years. And I also read Shinhwa's Hyesung is the same case because he injured his knee and had a surgery. There are always exceptions.