Korea Deconstructed

Korean Men: Mandatory Military Service

Aug 30, 2023

02:12:27

“People sleep peacefully in their beds because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” George Orwell

Park Kyung Hoon (박경훈), Park Inu (박인우), and Lee Seung-il (이승일) are three South Korean men who have all recently completed their mandatory military service. One served in the Navy on the south coast, one in an administrative office, and one as a sniper in the DMZ. In this conversation they share their psychological and physical experiences of being called up by the government to complete more than 500 days of compulsory service. While their paths were all different, they were able to relate to each other in terms of the forced nature of the service, the apps that soldiers use, the boot camps they endured, and the separation and isolation they felt. The one enduring message to be taken from listening to them is that though few, if any, men want to complete this national obligation, because they do, the rest of us are able to live peacefully.

Conversation Chapters

0:00 getting enlisted and physical check-ups

18:00 when do people normally choose to serve?

22:25 boot camp

36:36 getting to base

48:40 500 days left and phone usage

52:50 being a sniper at the DMZ

1:02:50 Patriotism and Korean feelings

1:09:00 Going on Leave and military punishments

1:18:00 Getting out the military

1:27:50 Gratitude and respect for men that serve

1:37:55 Should women be conscripted too?