본문 바로가기
bar_progress

Text Size

Close

"Women in the Military Increase Birth Rates Through Comradeship"…Remarks by the Director of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs Spark Controversy

Director Kim: "Couples Will Form If They Live Together"
"Criticizes Using Military as a Tool for Childbirth"
"Spoke Lightly... Apologize If Inappropriate"

The head of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs under the Ministry of National Defense sparked controversy after it was belatedly revealed that he made remarks suggesting, "If women join the military, camaraderie will develop, leading to higher marriage and birth rates."


"Women in the Military Increase Birth Rates Through Comradeship"…Remarks by the Director of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs Spark Controversy Stock photo of female soldiers unrelated to the article content

The YouTube channel 'Pen & Mike TV,' which has 1.08 million subscribers, posted an interview with Kim Hyung-cheol, head of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, on the 23rd of last month titled "Should Women Also Serve in the Military?" In the video, Director Kim opened by saying, "Women now have to join the military," and added, "Then men and women will live together in barracks, of course, with separate rooms, like a university dormitory."


He continued, "Naturally, couples who like each other will form," and said, "Camaraderie that can last a lifetime will develop, so rather, there might be more marriages and more babies born." He also mentioned, "Even during temple stays, couples form," and added, "It is good in terms of providing opportunities for meetings by properly encouraging that, and in emergencies, it could also be utilized as combat power."

"Women in the Military Increase Birth Rates Through Comradeship"…Remarks by the Director of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs Spark Controversy Kim Hyung-cheol, Director of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs
Photo by the Institute

In response, Park Seon-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized, "They are trying to use the military as a tool for childbirth. This is a very inappropriate remark," and urged the Minister of National Defense who appointed him to apologize. Netizens who saw the remarks also reacted negatively, saying things like, "Is the military a baby factory?" "I don't understand what logic this is," and "This is a strange way of thinking." As the controversy grew, Director Kim told SBS on the 7th, "It was a light comment made with the intention of creating a place for men and women to meet," and said, "If it was inappropriate, I apologize." He also emphasized regarding his appointment, "I applied properly and was appointed by the board of directors."


Meanwhile, Director Kim is a retired Air Force lieutenant general who was part of Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign's Fair Election and Safe Voting Promotion Committee during the last presidential election. He was appointed as the 12th director of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs by the Minister of National Defense in November 2022. The Korea Institute for Military Affairs, under the Ministry of National Defense, is a nonprofit public foundation established in 1994 to research and analyze all areas related to national defense and military affairs, contribute to defense policy and military development, and enhance the strength of the armed forces through support projects for veterans.


© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.

Special Coverage


Join us on social!

Top