South Korea Proposes Sending Older Men to the Army Instead of Women

Argument to fill the insufficient military manpower with elderly men

A proposition to solve the problem of military manpower shortage with elderly men has emerged.

This was written by Professor Choi Young-jin of the Department of Political and International Studies at Chung-Ang University in an article for Hankyoreh on the 31st of last month.

Professor Choi said, “The promise of military service for women is not a policy that a country, which needs to put all its efforts into increasing the birth rate, should consider.”

This was a criticism of the Reform Party’s pledge to “push for a policy to make women serve in the military from as early as 2030 to become police and fire department officials.”

Professor Choi said, “Women’s military service is not a rational alternative to solve the shortage of military manpower,” and “We would have to pour out a budget tens of times larger to secure 10,000 to 20,000 troops. Claiming that women should also go to the military under the guise of gender equality is a narrow view of the world.”

He continued, “There is an easier and more efficient alternative to solve the problem of military manpower shortage,” and “It is to utilize healthy seniors who wish to volunteer for military service. Currently, there are about 6.91 million men aged 55 to 75, and many of them are ready to pick up a gun for the country again.”

He claimed, “If only 1% of the 6.91 million volunteers, we can secure about 70,000 reserve forces,” and “If we pay them the same salary that the current soldiers receive, we can easily mobilize 200,000 to 300,000 people.”

Professor Choi’s argument is causing controversy among netizens under the name of ‘Senior Army.’

Criticism such as “Are men supposed to go to the military even after they turn 70?” and “Can officials control soldiers in their 60s and 70s? The hierarchical order could collapse”  “Why not young women?” has emerged.

On the contrary, those in favor said, “Many elderly men are picking up trash, so wouldn’t it be a good policy if the military provides them with food and lodging?”, “It’s a policy that the jobless elderly men might quite prefer” , and ” Men with military service experience are still better.”