"Reintroduction of Military Service Bonus Points," "Gender-Equal Service" - Ruling Party Turns Away, Struggling to Catch 'Inamja'

Jeon Yong-gi "Military Service Bonus Points, Reintroduce Even Through Constitutional Amendment"
Park Yong-jin "Significantly Reduce Mandatory Service Period by Including Women in Military Service"
Some Criticize as 'Populism'
Jin Joong-kwon "Treating Young Men Like Monkeys"

Park Yong-jin, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The Democratic Party of Korea is making every effort to regain the support of 'Inamja' (male voters in their 20s) who turned away in the April 7 by-elections. Within the party, policies such as the reinstatement of military service bonus points and the introduction of a gender-equal military service system have been discussed. This is interpreted as an intention to improve employment and military service issues, which are the most sensitive topics for men in their 20s. However, some critics argue that these are merely populist measures aimed at attracting young voters with unrealistic policies.

In the recent Seoul mayoral by-election, the defection of Inamja's support from the ruling party was prominent. According to the Central Election Commission on the 9th, a staggering 72.5% of male voters in their 20s supported Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, while Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party candidate and former Minister of SMEs and Startups, received only 22.2%.

Meanwhile, some ruling party lawmakers have raised policies targeting Inamja's votes. Jeon Yong-gi, the youngest first-term lawmaker of the Democratic Party, wrote on his Facebook on the 15th, "We plan to discuss the reintroduction of military service bonus points," emphasizing, "If it cannot be reintroduced due to unconstitutionality, we should amend the constitution so that discharged soldiers can receive at least minimal compensation."

On the same day, Kim Nam-guk, also from the same party, wrote on Facebook, "We will strive to ensure that discharged soldiers who have completed their military service receive fair treatment," adding, "We will establish legal grounds through amendments to the National Public Officials Act so that professional experience gained during military service can be recognized in local government recruitment nationwide."

Meanwhile, Park Yong-jin, a Democratic Party lawmaker who has expressed his intention to run for the next presidential election, proposed on the 18th the abolition of conscription, the introduction of a volunteer military system, and the implementation of a so-called 'gender-equal military service system' that mandates basic military training for all citizens.

In a Facebook post on the same day, Park stated, "This is a proposal made with the readiness to face controversy, and I am disclosing the specific contents," adding, "I propose the introduction of a gender-equal military service system where the military is maintained mainly by volunteers, and all citizens, regardless of gender, are required to undergo about 40 to 100 days of basic military training."

He continued, "Based on the volunteer military system and gender-equal military service, we aim to foster an elite strong military centered on cutting-edge weapon systems and the development of combat-ready reservists."

He further explained, "While maintaining conscription, the mandatory service period will be drastically reduced to lessen career disruption shocks for the younger generation and prevent social energy waste," adding, "Through women's military service, the mandatory service period will be significantly shortened while expanding the pool of those subject to military service."

Some members of the ruling party are discussing policies to capture the votes of 'Inamja,' such as reintroducing military service bonus points, abolishing the conscription system, and implementing gender-equal military service. / Photo by Asia Economy DB

The discussion of reinstating military service bonus points and introducing a gender-equal military service system within the ruling party is seen as a measure to regain the support of Inamja who have turned away from the Democratic Party. It is interpreted as an intention to address the social issues of employment and military service 'reverse discrimination,' which are the most sensitive to men in their 20s.

However, some critics point out the lack of realism in such policies. For example, the military service bonus point system was unanimously ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in 1999 for violating the constitutional rights to equality and freedom of occupational choice.

Criticism was also directed at the proposals made by Park. Jin Joong-kwon, former professor at Dongyang University, wrote on his Facebook on the 18th, "I see through these policies," criticizing, "They pretend to care for Inamja but treat them like the monkeys in the story of the three tricks."

He added, "While the volunteer military system is a goal to be pursued regularly, it is currently unfeasible. The biggest issues are finances and the need to amend the constitution," and criticized, "This is populism aimed at gaining votes from the 2030 youth by offering lip service with no feasibility."

Regarding the gender-equal military service system, he said, "It is a somewhat progressive proposal that appropriately adjusts the dosage of anti-feminism," and scolded, "Is this the lesson you drew from an election held amid sexual harassment scandals?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.