[March Recommended Books by Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency]⑤ 'Women Should Also Serve in the Military'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Korea Publication Culture Industry Promotion Agency's Book Sharing Committee announced seven titles, including Horangi Saengilnalireotda (Urihakgyo), as the recommended books for March 2022.

The Book Sharing Committee is composed of experts from various fields. To expand publishing demand and promote reading culture, it introduces books in seven categories?literature, humanities and arts, social sciences, natural sciences, practical/general, picture books and fairy tales, and youth?each month along with recommendations.

The "Recommended Books for March" include seven titles: Horangi Saengilnalireotda (Urihakgyo), Adolescent Philosophy Journey (Chorokseojae), #Gender_Novels: Hashtag Literary Selection (Munhakgwa Jiseongsa), The Humanities of Poop (Yeoksabipyungsa), “Girls Should Go to the Military Too” (Dongnyeok), When Light Becomes Fascination (Influential), and Game Treatment Manual for Everyone (Hankyoreh Publishing).

The Book Sharing Committee includes Chairperson Jeong Subok (sociologist), Kwon Bokgyu (professor at Ewha Womans University Medical School), Ryu Daeseong (writer), Jo Gyeongran (novelist), Jin Taewon (professor at Sungkonghoe University), Choi Hyunmi (reporter at Munhwa Ilbo), and Pyo Jeonghun (critic).

Detailed information about the recommended books and recommendations from the Book Sharing Committee can be found on the Publication Promotion Agency website or the Dokseoin website.

"Girls Should Go to the Military Too" | Kim Ellie | Dongnyeok | 216 pages | 14,000 KRW

There is a saying, "Power comes from the barrel of a gun." It means that the ultimate force to compel others to follow one's will is violence. Since the 1961 coup, Korean society has been structured based on the military organization model. National security and economic development were two sides of the same coin. Before democratization in 1987, Korea's modernity was a "modernity trapped in militarism." Militarism turned Korean men into "warriors" who fight and work, and Korean women into "housewives" who support men. Women exempted from military service became "second-class citizens" or "half citizens," excluded from public activities. However, after democratization in 1987, with the emergence of the women's movement and legal and institutional measures such as the abolition of the family head system for gender equality, the situation changed. The male-centered patriarchal social order is shaking. The younger generation today lives in an era of "heated gender wars" in daily life. In this context, the phrase "Girls should go to the military too" suddenly emerged. This book questions the conventional equation of men = military and women = childbirth. To answer this, it makes readers deeply consider how not only the military but also family, workplace, and other social institutions should change.

- Jeong Subok, Sociologist/Writer

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