In this blog post, we will look at the possibility and conditions for abolishing the conscription system and replacing it with an enlistment system after the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Currently, South Korea has adopted a conscription system, which imposes military service on all men aged 18 or older who meet certain conditions. As almost all adult men are required to serve in the military, military service has become a major concern for many young men, and the country is suffering huge economic losses as men in their 20s, who could be put to more productive use, are sent to the military. This is fundamentally because the Korean Peninsula is divided into North and South, and is in a state of extreme military confrontation, which is referred to as the world’s powder keg. With many mountains and major cities, the distance between the Armistice Line and Seoul is close, and a large number of troops are needed to prevent the occupation of territory in the event of war. If the two Koreas were to reunify and the confrontation between the two sides were to be resolved, then one could consider whether it would be possible to abandon the conscription system and switch to an enlistment system.
However, I believe that even if unification is achieved, it will be difficult to abandon the conscription system for practical reasons. First, even if the confrontation between North and South Korea disappears, there are still factors that threaten the security of the Korean Peninsula, and these problems may become more serious. The most representative threat is China, which is rapidly developing and threatening US hegemony and seeking to become a superpower. Even now, China and South Korea are in conflict over the Northeast China Sea Project and illegal fishing in the Yellow Sea. Considering China’s territorial disputes over the Spratly Islands and the Senkaku Islands, it is likely that a unified Korea, which will directly share a border with China when reunification is achieved, and Baekdusan Mountain, which is located on the border, will also face territorial disputes.
In addition, China needs to expand into the ocean to contain the United States in its quest for global hegemony. The Korean Peninsula is a very attractive bridgehead for the continental nation of China to expand into the ocean, so China is likely to target it. Moreover, China will see the presence of a pro-American country just 1,000 km away from the capital as a potential threat and will try to subdue it.
In addition to China, Japan, South Korea’s neighbor, is also in conflict over the Dokdo Islands, and Russia, which will have a new border due to unification, is not currently in a clear conflict, but it could become a military threat as a military power with a strong military following the United States. In this situation, as in the case of German reunification, the agreement of neighboring countries is required for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula, and China or Russia are likely to demand the withdrawal of US troops as a condition for reunification. In fact, China is demanding the withdrawal of US troops from a reunified Korea. In this case, it is difficult to abandon the conscription system because it is necessary to further strengthen the independent defense capabilities.
Another problem is that the implementation of a conscription system immediately after unification could lead to a bias in the origin of soldiers. In South Korea, the declining birth rate has led to a shortage of military resources and an atmosphere of military avoidance, while young people in North Korea are likely to apply for the military in large numbers in order to get a job immediately after unification (in fact, the German military maintained a conscription system for 20 years after unification to prevent this situation). In addition, senior North Korean military personnel are likely to be excluded from the unified Korean military due to their responsibility for human rights abuses, and most of the senior positions in the military will be occupied by South Koreans. In this case, the difference in mindset between lower-ranking North Korean soldiers and senior South Korean soldiers could lead to serious conflict within the military. In addition, if a large proportion of North Korean personnel with insufficient human rights awareness are in the military, the possibility of causing problems within the military and externally increases. In particular, the military is a group that can use physical force, so the human rights awareness of soldiers as members of a democratic society is essential. If this is neglected, the risk of abuse of physical force increases, so the problem of regional bias within the military must be resolved.
To prevent this problem, a conscription system that can maintain a certain ratio regardless of where you are from is needed. Currently, a significant number of North Korean youths do not meet South Korea’s conscription standards due to insufficient physical conditions (according to the East Asia Statistical Yearbook, the average height of North Korean men is 158 cm, and according to South Korea’s military service assessment criteria, those between 146 and 158 cm are classified as Class 4 and are not eligible for active duty). However, as the nutritional status improves after reunification, the number of people from North Korea will gradually increase, which will enable stable military integration.
Of course, the conscription system has many problems. The biggest problem in South Korea, which currently has a conscription system, is the human rights issue of conscripts in the military. The military is essentially a group that restricts individual freedom, so even if abuses are eradicated, there remains the problem of basic human rights violations. In addition, as mentioned earlier, the deployment of young men in their 20s into the military causes a significant economic loss for the country, and there is also the limitation that a short service period makes it difficult to build up proficiency in responding to advanced weapon systems.
Some argue that to solve these problems, we should switch to a conscription system, secure skilled soldiers, and only conscript civilians in emergency situations. However, the problem of abuse of power in the military culture cannot be solved by introducing a conscription system alone. Rather, the conscription system may reduce public interest in military issues. Above all, the Korean Peninsula is only 1,000 km long from north to south, and it is surrounded by the sea on three sides, making it difficult to defend the rear area, so there is not enough room to recruit and train civilians. In addition, troops that have been drafted from the civilian population and have undergone short-term training are less skilled, and may have a lower response capability when deployed to the battlefield. In fact, the United States, which abolished the conscription system and switched to an enlistment system in 1973, faced controversy in the 2000s due to the recruitment of mentally ill people and criminals due to a shortage of troops in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As seen above, a unified Korea will need to maintain the conscription system, but the problems associated with the conscription system cannot be ignored. So, what is the best solution?
I propose the solution of civil service military service. Civil service military service is a form of conscription, in which officers are selected from among volunteers, ordinary troops are recruited from among those who are engaged in their daily occupations, and they undergo short-term training upon being called up, and are organized as regular troops in times of emergency. A typical example of a country that has introduced this system is Switzerland. The adoption of the civilian reserve system will allow for the specialization of the operation of advanced military equipment and will also solve the problem of regional bias. In addition, the large-scale mobilization of reserve forces in the event of an emergency will enable the military to effectively respond to external threats. The civilian reserve system will reduce the actual length of military service to a few months, after which soldiers will regularly participate in training, reducing the problem of harsh treatment within the military and the infringement of individual freedoms. In fact, Taiwan reduced the number of deaths during military service by about 30% when it switched from a 20-month service period to a four-month militia system in 2014, when it maintained a conscription system. In addition, the militia system can reduce the problem of harsh treatment by maintaining national interest in military affairs. Additionally, it is possible to maintain a military within the scope that does not pose a threat to neighboring countries, which can reduce military tension.
The conscription system has human rights violations that restrict basic rights, so the conscription system is preferable in terms of human rights. However, unfortunately, the reality of the Korean Peninsula is such that the conscription system is not easy to implement. In the long run, a conscription system would be ideal if peace is established on the Korean Peninsula, but the reality is that it is very difficult to reintroduce a conscription system even though it is easy to abolish it. In particular, a transition to a conscription system could pose a serious risk to national security in the context of ongoing military tensions with North Korea. The Korean Peninsula is currently in the midst of military confrontation with North Korea, and a number of variables must be taken into account in order to implement a conscription system in this context.
First, in order to introduce a conscription system, the perception of military service in society as a whole must change positively. Currently, the military is perceived by many as a burden, and there is a strong tendency to avoid military service. If this perception does not improve, it will be difficult to recruit voluntary troops, which could directly affect the military’s combat power.
Second, in order to switch to a conscription system, appropriate compensation and benefits must be provided. If there is no economic or social compensation for those who choose to serve in the military, it will be difficult to increase the effectiveness of the conscription system. In particular, there is a need for policies that will enable military service to lead to job stability and development opportunities in the long term.
Third, a system must be established to recruit and retain personnel suitable for military jobs that require expertise and experience. As the level of skills required of soldiers has increased due to the development of military technology, a continuous education and training system is essential. This must be used to train personnel with expertise and create an environment where they can grow within the military.
Finally, the system for addressing human rights issues within the military must be strengthened. Once the conscription system is introduced, the human rights of soldiers will become more important, so human rights education and the strengthening of related laws and regulations are necessary. This will minimize the possibility of human rights violations within the military and ensure that military service is a valuable experience for citizens.
In conclusion, it is considered necessary to maintain the conscription system in the current reality of the Korean Peninsula, but in the long term, it is ideal to switch to a conscription system. In this process, various efforts are needed, including changing the perception of military service, establishing a compensation system, training professional personnel, and protecting human rights. Considering these points, when peace is established on the Korean Peninsula, a conscription system can be introduced to operate a better military.
