What Compulsory Military Service Entails In Korea

As many may know already, Korea is the only divided nation today. North and South Korea are in a state of conflict and are run by two sovereign states.

Although it may seem unlikely that a war would break out in the 21st century, Korea still implements a complete conscription system where male citizens have to complete compulsory military service.

For this reason, military duty is always a huge topic, not only in Korea but among all global fans of Korean artists and actors.

Idols born in 1992 including BTS Jin, EXO's Baekhyun and Chanyeol, Monsta X Shownu and many others are close to their deadline, too!

So what is serving in the Korean military like?

Our Korean editor, who has seen her own younger brother and many male friends serve in the military, will take us through this blog!

When Do People Have To Serve In The Korean Military?

Starting at 18 global age, it becomes compulsory for men to serve their military duties. It is often considered a must-take step in order to go from a boy to a man.

Many Korean men finish their military duties in their early 20s.

But actors and K-pop idols whose career peaks in their 20s try and push it back as far as possible.

Legally, master's or Ph.D. students can serve as late as the age of 28, and many celebrities will also serve their at around this age.

Why Do Only Men Serve In The Korean Military?

After the Korean War, when the Military Service Act was enacted, only men became subject to conscription because women's physical abilities were "not deemed suitable for the military."

Many in Korea consider this sexism for both genders.

First, men are forced to work for a year and a half at low pay in harsh environments just because they were born male.

Secondly, women are treated as inferior citizens who do not have to ability to contribute to national security just because they were born female.

Due to the above reasons, the male-only conscription in Korea is creating great conflict in society.

How Long Do People Serve For In The Korean Military?

Roughly, the service in the military lasts about two years, but the period varies slightly depending on the unit you are enlisted in.

Korean soldiers are said to await their discharge from the very moment of enlistment. Many say time goes by way too slowly in the military.

When the Military Service Act was first enacted, everyone including those in the Army, Navy, and Air Force all had to serve for 36 months. 3 whole years!

Do You Get Paid To Serve In The Korean Military?

Korean soldiers get paid once a month.

The above salary has increased by 33% compared to 2019 and by 6 to 7 times compared to 10 years ago, but the amount is still below Korea's average salary.

Although the salary isn't much, many soldiers will subscribe to installment savings accounts for military soliders because the interest rate tends to be higher than regular savings accounts!

My younger brother also saved up money through the military savings account and bought a new laptop upon discharge.

What Are The Rules At The Korean Military?

Just as any other country, the rules and regulations at the Korean military tend to be very strict. We've listed a couple of them below:

1. Hair

As many of you guys have already seen from photos of K-celebs enlisting in the military, your hair has to be cut short, close to shaving.

Source: 일요 신문

There are many reasons for this, but the main purpose would be for 'maximum efficiency' where the hair doesn't get in the way during training and combat.

Since this is not a hairstyle guys in Korea like to wear on a regular basis, this hairstyle is commonly known as 'the military hair'.

Lots of men realize their military enlistment is real and happening when they watch their hair cut in this style.

One of my friends said he even teared up when getting this haircut.

2. Smartphones

Up until 2020, smartphones were never allowed at military bases.

Because of this, soldiers were disconnected from the outside world except for when they received letters or were allowed phone time for a few minutes.

Many have complained of discomfort and loneliness, and they were finally allowed to use their cell phones starting July 2020.

For security reasons, they are required to install an app and put stickers over their cameras.

Source: 국방일보

Basically, you can use your smartphone from 6pm to 10pm after your shift on weekdays and from 7am to 10pm on holidays and weekends.

Thanks to this, soldiers can now easily connect with their family, significant others, and friends, and quickly updates on news from the outside world.

Source: SK 텔레콤

My friends who are serving in the military say they study by watching online classes or relax by watching Netflix!

What Do You Eat At The Korean Military?

Soldiers eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at their base!

Source: 국방일보, 연합뉴스

They try to serve different cuisines including Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Western, but it's also known to be quite terrible.

Source: 국방부

There are many reasons why military food is terrible. 

One is the limited budget and time. Another is regular soldiers being cooks.

Because regular soldiers have to cook huge amounts of food within a certain amount of time, the food ends up becoming not so appetizing.

Source: 국방부 블로그, 롯데리아 홈페이지

A well-known Korean military food is Gundaeria (군대리아). The word is a combination of 'Gundae', which means 'military' in Korean, and Lotteria, which is a popular fast-food chain in Korea. 

Soldiers are given buns, patties and other ingredients, and they assemble their own burgers with them.

Lotteria actually released their own version of Gundaeria recently too!

Because the food at the military cafeterias is almost terrifying, many head over to PX to fix their cravings. PX (post exchange / port exchange) is like a supermarket for soldiers, where they sell snacks, drinks and necessities for cheaper than retail price.

Some snacks are only found at PX, so many soldiers buy them to take back home for their friends and family.

What's The Korean Military Culture Like?

Korean society tends to be very age-focused, but in the Korean military, it is all about ranks.

You could be older than your superior, but it doesn't matter at the military. This is another reason why many Korean men (aside from celebrities) try to enlist as young as possible.

Source: 해병대

While the class-centred culture seems essential in the military environment, there are lots of drawbacks as well.

Sometimes a soldier will be bullied or assaulted by the rest of the group, resulting in him going through psychiatric treatment or committing suicide.

It's terrible that beatings and assaults were overlooked in the past as "part of the culture".

Improvements are being made, but the military culture seems to have a long way to go.

Different Types Of Military

Source: 연합뉴스, 엑스포츠 뉴스

As many of us may already know, Song Joong-ki joined the army and Hyun Bin the Marine Corps.

In Korea, the military is divided into 4 types: The Republic Of Korea Army (ROKA), The Republic Of Korea Air Force (ROK Air Force), The Republic Of Korea Navy (ROKN) and The Republic Of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC).

There is also Republic Of Korea Auxillary Police and Conscripted Firefighters Agents, as well as Social Service Agents for those with a medical history.

Source: 서울경찰 페이스북, 더쿠(THEQOO)

Super Junior's Choi Si-won was auxiliary police and Park Bo-gum a navy soldier.

What Do They Do?

The training is roughly similar, but there are many different roles given out to each soldier.

One could be kitchen police like EXO's D.O., or a driver soldier like actor Jung Hae-in.

Many artists including SHINee Key, BTOB Chang-sub, VIXX N and many more serve in the military band.

The military band performs at national events and military events, the perfect role for idols who love to perform for a crowd!

Source: playdb

Has your idol or actor starred in a musical during their military service?

Many celebrities including EXO Xiumin, SHINee Onew, Infinite Sung-kyu, Kang Ha-neul and Ji Chang-wook have performed in musicals like Gwihwan (귀환) and Shinheung Mugwan Hakgyo (신흥 무관학교).

Source: 뉴스 1

In this case, they're not given the position of 'musical performer', they are actually cast through auditions within the army. The musicals are made to send a message to the people of Korea.

Many fans appreciate it when their idol or actor makes it in the audition and performs in the army musical because it's a great way to see them even during their military service!

How Do You Send Letters To Korean Soldiers?

Instead of getting assigned to their base right away, soldiers have to go through training which lasts about 5 to 6 weeks.

During the training period, using smartphones is not allowed, so letters are the only way for loved ones to send messages to their soldiers.

There are two ways to send letters:

1. Online

After a week of enlistment, we can write letters to the soldier online.

Korea Army Training Center's Homepage

You can send letters on the following websites: Korea Army Training Center, Naval Education and Training Command, and Air Force Training Center.

However, all of these websites are in Korean, and it can be difficult for foreigners to use them because they require Korean name authentication.

For army soldiers, auxiliary police and public service agents, we can use an app called The Camp and send letters easily.

Letters written online are printed and handed to the receiving soldier! 

The biggest advantage of The Camp is that foreigners can use it easily by authenticating themselves with their international phone numbers. Also, it's very convenient because you can save and view the letters you sent using The Camp app.

2. Offline

But sometimes there is nothing like a genuine handwritten letter, right?

Just like the online process, your soldier will have an address where you can send letters after a week of enlistment.

At this point, you can only send letters, so refrain from sending other things like necessities and snacks.

Letters are handed out at the end of the day to the soldiers. Many say reading the letters at the end of a hard-working day gives them the comfort and strength to keep going!

The military is a large part of Korean culture. Although it is a difficult task, it is said to help one grow further.

We hope the issues of gender inequality, violence and violation of human rights will resolve soon.