[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Amid recent political debates over the issue of 'female conscription,' a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board titled "Conscription for women as well as men" was posted on the 16th and surpassed 44,000 preliminary supporters within three days.
According to the Blue House National Petition Board on the 19th, the petitioner stated, "Please include women in the conscription target," adding, "With the declining birth rate, our military is facing significant difficulties in replenishing personnel. As a result, the conscription rate for men is approaching 90%."
They continued, "Because even those unfit for military service are forcibly conscripted due to the increased conscription rate compared to the past, there is concern about the overall qualitative deterioration of the armed forces," and argued, "As a countermeasure, women should also be included in the conscription target to form a more efficient military force."
The petitioner said, "At the point where women are already recruited as officers or non-commissioned officers, the claim that women's bodies are unsuitable for military service sounds like an excuse," and added, "Unlike the past military, I understand that a modern and advanced military culture has been established. Women are aware of this, and after observing many communities, I confirmed that the majority of women view female conscription positively."
A petition titled "Women should also be conscripted like men" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 16th. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture
They further stated, "In modern society, where everyone recognizes the pursuit of gender equality and that women's abilities are by no means inferior to men's, imposing military service only on men is a very backward and misogynistic idea," and requested, "Women are not beings to be protected but can be reliable comrades who defend the country. The government should consider introducing female conscription."
Meanwhile, the Blue House makes petitions public as 'ongoing petitions' after internal review if they meet the preliminary support threshold of 100 people. This petition received over 10,000 preliminary supporters within a day and is expected to be made public soon.
Recently, various opinions have been expressed in the political sphere regarding 'female conscription.' Park Yongjin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, advocated for "transitioning the current conscription system to a volunteer-based system focusing on voluntary recruits" and "introducing a mixed conscription system of gender-equal service where men and women obligatorily undergo about 40 to 100 days of basic military training." Earlier, Jeon Yonggi of the same party mentioned the need to revive the military bonus points system even if it requires constitutional amendment.
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