"Draft Boy Soldiers Instead of Women"... Counter Petition Emerges for 'Women Also Serving in the Military'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Amid a Blue House petition titled 'Draft women too' gaining over 170,000 signatures, a counter petition titled 'Consider drafting boy soldiers' has emerged on the Blue House petition board. Recently, following Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yongjin's proposal of a 'gender-equal military service system' that requires women to undergo basic military training, debates regarding military service appear to be intensifying.

On the 20th, a petition titled 'Please consider drafting boy soldiers instead of drafting women' was posted on the Blue House petition board. This petition gained over 3,000 signatures within just one day, on the 21st.

A petition titled "Please consider conscripting boy soldiers instead of female conscription" posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 20th. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture.

The petitioner argued, "If there is a shortage of active duty enlistment resources, draft male students from the third year of middle school to the second year of high school instead of women," adding, "History has proven that males of this age are fully capable of serving as active duty soldiers."

He continued, "During the Korean War, student soldiers had worse physical development and nutritional status than today's male students, yet they fulfilled their military duties sufficiently. So why can't today's male students do the same?"

The petitioner emphasized, "Due to various patriarchal evils, glass ceilings, high rates of crimes against women, forced childbirth, and low wages, the lives of women in the Republic of Korea are already hell itself," adding, "Now trying to impose military service obligations on them is too harsh." He further stated, "Is being born a woman in this country a crime? We will no longer endure this."

However, the proposed drafting of boy soldiers by the petitioner is unlikely to be realized, as international law prohibits the conscription of soldiers under the age of 18.

Meanwhile, a petition titled 'Please include women in the draft' posted on the Blue House petition board on the 19th has currently gained over 170,000 signatures.

The petitioner of this post argued, "Due to declining birth rates, there are difficulties in supplementing military personnel," adding, "As a countermeasure, women should also be included in the draft. Imposing military service obligations only on men is a misogynistic idea."

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