"Include Women in Conscription" Gains 90,000 Signatures on Blue House Petition
Park Yong-jin Proposes Introduction of "Gender-Equal Military Service"
Kwon In-sook Calls Conscription a Source of Gender Discrimination, Urges Swift Adoption of Volunteer Army
Some Mocking and Misogynistic Remarks Emerge
Discussions about the female conscription system are active not only socially but also within the political sphere. As of 10 a.m. on the 20th, related petitions posted on the Blue House's public petition platform have garnered 90,000 supporters. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] More than 90,000 people have agreed to a Blue House petition calling for women to be conscripted like men. Discussions about the 'female conscription system' are also active in the political sphere. However, separate from this, ridicule about women serving in the military itself continues, sparking gender conflicts. Women's groups emphasized that gender conflicts should be minimized as much as possible.
On the 19th, a post titled "Please include women in the conscription target" was uploaded on the Blue House petition board. As of 9 a.m. on the 20th, this petition had received 98,162 endorsements.
The petitioner claimed, "Along with the declining birth rate, our military is facing significant difficulties in replenishing troops," adding, "As a result, the conscription rate for men is also approaching 90%."
He 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," emphasizing, "As a countermeasure, women should also be included to form a more efficient troop composition."
He added, "At the point where female officers and non-commissioned officers are already being recruited, the claim that women's bodies are unsuitable for military service sounds like an excuse," emphasizing, "After observing many communities, I confirmed that the majority of women also view female conscription positively."
Furthermore, the petitioner appealed, "Women are not beings to be protected but can be reliable comrades who defend the country," urging, "Therefore, the government should consider introducing a female conscription system."
While a petition calling for women to be conscripted like men has been posted, separate derogatory public opinions about women are also emerging, causing controversy. Women's groups have voiced criticism regarding gender conflicts.
[Image source=Yonhap News]
A man in his 30s named Kim, who said he works in Seoul, said, "I view the discussion about female conscription itself positively," but added, "If you think about whether women can receive the same level of training as men in the military, I don't think so." He continued, "There may be tasks women can perform in the military, but I don't believe men and women can live military life completely equally."
A male office worker in his late 20s said, "I don't quite understand the idea of women serving as regular soldiers," adding, "Honestly, physical strength is different from men, isn't it? Among men, there are comments like 'What military for women?'"
Meanwhile, netizens are continuing with mocking remarks. One netizen said, "Women going to the military through female conscription will realize how comfortably they lived," adding, "Just don't cause any trouble." Another netizen criticized, "They can't enlist as regular soldiers but pick and choose to enlist as officers, police, or firefighters as they please, haha."
One netizen said, "They don't complain about hardship or difficulty, just sit quietly, but when it comes to favorable treatment, they demand to be selected to meet the female quota regardless of ability, screeching. I don't want to disparage women, but looking at feminists' behavior makes me think that way."
In response to such public opinion, women's groups point out that productive discussions should come first and that situations involving gender conflicts and disparagement of women are undesirable.
A women's group official said in an interview with Yonhap News, "Women's groups have long argued that discussions about conscription should be conducted in a mature society," adding, "However, it is problematic when fragmented discussions or legislative proposals arise during times of gender conflict, such as reviving military service bonus points by coaxing men with 'Is military service hard?' or implementing female recruitment systems."
On the 18th, Kwon Kim Hyun-young, director of the Women's Reality Research Institute, posted on her Facebook, "Whether it is a volunteer military system, social service system, or the abolition of conscription, it is clear that social discussions and a shift in national security discourse are necessary," adding, "I believe that all core gender issue topics will be on the discussion table before the presidential election," emphasizing, "The next year will be very important if radical discussions are to properly bring about social change."
Meanwhile, recently, discussions about the 'female conscription system' have emerged in the political arena. Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed in his book published on the 19th, "Park Yong-jin's Political Revolution," that the current military service system be converted to a "volunteer military system," maintaining the military based on volunteer resources, but introducing a mixed military service system called "gender-equal service," where all citizens, regardless of gender, obligatorily receive about 40 to 100 days of basic military training.
Regarding this, Kwon In-sook, the Democratic Party's ranking member of the National Assembly's Gender and Family Committee, appeared on MBC Radio's "Pyo Chang-won's News High Kick" on the 19th and said, "I support the volunteer military system and want to expedite its introduction."
She added, "The male-centered conscription system is a major root of gender discrimination related to women's entire lives, especially concerning jobs and workplace culture," emphasizing, "From the perspective of expanding women's employment, being a soldier is a very good job."
She continued, "As more women join the military, it becoming a female-friendly organization is a very good factor in expanding gender-equal culture in society," citing a 2019 survey by the Korean Women's Development Institute, explaining, "53.7% of women agree that they should also serve in the military," and "About 54 to 55% of women in their 20s and 30s support it."
Kwon said, "We need to activate discussions about the volunteer military system during this presidential election phase," emphasizing, "We must deeply discuss women's willingness, the state of preparation for the volunteer military system, and international circumstances." Regarding Park's idea of "mandatory military training for both men and women," she said, "'Do you support or oppose?' is too premature at this stage," adding, "I actively support cautiously starting discussions."
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