More Young Women in South Korea Are Joining The Military

An increasing number of young women in South Korea, wherein most have studied in universities, are now joining the military. This is because most career opportunities in the country are getting harder to penetrate and competition becomes tougher, pushing them to sign up for job security as well as experience.

But in order to join, they have to become more aggressive when it comes to training themselves. This way, they can ensure a spot in the troop. Universities, such as Dankook and Konyang, have established clubs to help these women equip themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge.

The members are initially chosen based on physical abilities. They also train for officer exams, seeking the help of crammers to be fully prepared.

According to a crammer staff, "We saw an increase in the number of female students last year, and now women account for half of all students in some classes."

Female applicants in military academies have also increased over the years. In fact, the competition rate among women has increased to 40.4:1 at the Korea Military Academy. The rate is 59.9:1 at the Korea Naval Academy and 69.2:1 at the Korea Air Force Academy.

"We have been increasing the number of female soldiers as part of reforms and women now account for around six percent of all troops, up from four percent in 2010," said an official from the Defense Ministry.

Signing up for the military helps young women obtain unique experience, with conglomerates reportedly preferring staff with military experience on their resumes. On the other hand, becoming a professional soldier offers good pensions.

"Attitudes are changing, and the military is no longer seen as a blue-collar job," Chonbuk National University professor Sul Dong-hoon stated.

But Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education's Oh Ho-young said that the effect isn't always positive. "Women must realize that there are tough aspects of a military career when they have children. We need to make sure women are informed about the realities."

On one hand, young women in North Korea - from 17 to 20 years old - have been mandated to serve the military until the age of 23 in hopes of strengthening its armed forces.

"Late last year, we received orders for all women who have graduated from middle and high school to undergo mandatory military service," a source from North Hamkyung Province said.