Gender Equality in the Military? Survey Reveals Views on Female Conscription

In response to the decline in military forces due to low birth rates, it has been revealed that more than half of the population agrees with the implementation of female conscription.

On the 12th, KBS announced the results of a public opinion poll conducted over the Lunar New Year holiday. Among these, 54% favored female conscription, 34% were opposed, and 12% were unsure.

Support was higher among men. 66% of men agreed, while 27% disagreed. Interestingly, women responded positively to conscription, with a 43% in favor. However, negative opinions were strong, with 40% opposed.

The rate of agreement with female conscription was highest among supporters of the People’s Power candidate at 69%, followed by the Justice Party at 66%, Lee Jun-seok’s New Party at 62%, other People’s New Party at 60%, the Democratic Party at 53%, and Lee Nak-yeon’s New Party at 51%.

The agreement rate with female conscription was slightly lower among voters planning to vote but had not yet decided who to vote for and respondents who did not intend to vote.

Recently, due to the steep population decline, opinions from all walks of society have suggested that women’s military service should be seriously considered. On the 15th of last month, an image, “The Appearance of Men and Women in Their 20s in Korea,” drawn by artificial intelligence (AI), was released, causing controversy. This was because while women enjoyed a pleasant chat in a café, men received military training in the harsh winter cold.

While this image received criticism for perpetuating “gender stereotypes,” it also led to discussions on female conscription.

Currently, the Ministry of National Defense stated regarding female conscription, “It has not been reviewed” and emphasized that “This matter requires social consensus and agreement, so it needs to be carefully reviewed or decided.”

Lee Ki-sik, the head of the Military Manpower Administration, stated last July regarding female conscription, “It is premature and could only fuel social conflict.” He pointed out that the problem of “the decrease in military resources after the mid-2030s should be addressed through unmanned and scientific approaches being promoted by Defense Innovation 4.0”.

Meanwhile, Korea Research conducted this public opinion poll online on behalf of KBS, targeting 2,000 men and women over 18 nationwide. The sample was selected according to regional, gender, and age standards in proportion to the population, and the response rate was 29.9%. Weights were given according to gender, age, and region, and the margin of error is ±2.2 points (at a 95% confidence level). For more details, refer to the Central Election Opinion Poll Review Committee and the KBS website.