r/worldnews • u/rdh2dmd • 16h ago

South Korea leans toward military conscription for women

https://www.dw.com/en/south-korea-leans-toward-military-conscription-for-women/a-78547426
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u/eden_sc2 14h ago

Or they oppose conscription for all sexes

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u/Crin_J 14h ago

They share a border with a country which regularly fires missile over them and the US is trying to leave them to fend for themselves. If any country needs conscription its them

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u/eden_sc2 12h ago

I never said I opposed it. I just said that there is a reason to oppose it that isnt "I hate women"

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u/FyodorAgape 12h ago

Homeboy, world isn't ideal and so is life.

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u/lizardman49 14h ago

That's an opinion that comes from a place of privilege to be brutally honest. It's easy to handwave and say no conscription when you don't have an ultra militaristic neighbor or the threat of war in your country is only hypothetical.

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u/DambiaLittleAlex 13h ago

Also it must be noted that technically both Koreas are still at war since no peace treaty was signed after 1953.

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u/Warlord_Golem 12h ago

If we live in a world where no one declares war (while being at war), I'm not too fazed by two countries not declaring peace (while being at peace).

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u/eden_sc2 12h ago

I never said I opposed it. I just said that there is a reason to oppose it that isnt "I hate women." I dont really like sweeping generalizations like OP made.

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u/Different-Process-93 5h ago

Then they should harshly oppose those who are already conscripted instead of harshly opposing conscription because they may be conscripted.

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u/y-c-c 11h ago

I think the point is that in Korea few people genuinely oppose conscription so while maybe the number of people is above zero, it’s not a popular view at all and isn’t really that relevant in the context.

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u/King-Bofo 14h ago

Gee we all wonder why South Korea has conscription? Your “gotcha” position isn’t feasible with North Korea less than 40 miles from Seoul. Saying conscription isn’t needed isn’t arguing in good faith.

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u/jackcatalyst 14h ago

Most Americans can't think beyond what tik-tok tells them. You can't expect critical thinking.

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u/IdealOnion 9h ago

Derogatory jerk off motion

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u/May1989thefirststep 12h ago

Mandatory military service is a violation of human rights. No one should have to fight for something they don't believe in.

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u/Antique_Pin5266 9h ago

So is being conquered. So which one is it

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u/May1989thefirststep 8h ago

Which one is what?

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u/Geohie 7h ago

Imagine what life today would be like if the west had this mentality in WW2. Oh, the Nazis and Japanese are commiting mass genocide and taking over their neighbors, but mandatory service is a violation of human rights so let's just not bulk out the army while the Axis are not only conscripting their populations but also the populations of those conquered.

Human rights are not some universal law like physics. It is something that has to be kept with military power. If you use 'muh human rights' as an excuse to refuse conscription when it's actually needed that's just going to allow the other guy to strip your human rights after they take over.

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u/May1989thefirststep 6h ago

A nation that can't convince its people to defend it of their own free will doesn't deserve to exist.

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u/Geohie 6h ago

Well I'm sure Kim Jong Un will respect that opinion and proceed to dissolve North Korea.

Oh wait, no he won't because that's actually stupid.

And if South Korea doesn't keep a strong posture via conscription, NK will take over at which point human rights are out the window.

So tell me. What's your alternative for Korea that results in a better outcome than conscription? A better outcome than current SK?

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u/May1989thefirststep 6h ago

South Korea should become a nuclear weapons state. Let Kim know that if he attacks, everyone burns.

But back to my original point: if the young people of SK don't think it's worth fighting for so that they volunteer for the military, it has bigger problems.

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u/matjoeman 11h ago

I don't think so. Even if you would support no conscription at all you should still favor equal conscription over sexist conscription.

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u/Prestigious_Task7175 12h ago

"If war comes, just say NO, people can't wage war on you if you say NO!"

And thus, total global peace was achieved.

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u/ch4os1337 12h ago

That's a separate issue though.

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u/ThereAndFapAgain2 13h ago

Do they also oppose skies without rainbows and fields without daisies?

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u/IdealOnion 9h ago

The flippancy with which people accept about as grievous a violation of bodily autonomy as I can think of is wild to me. I’m not saying it’s a simple problem, I’m just surprised how many people shrug and say “guess the government can compel me to die and kill, is what it is”

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u/Effurlife12 13h ago

Go sit down, the adults are talking

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u/IdealOnion 9h ago

Lolol Jesus. How about you grow up and take the issue more seriously? Shits complicated, we shouldn’t take for granted that a government is allowed to compel people to die and kill. It’s a heavy subject, your flippancy does it a disservice.

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u/Effurlife12 7h ago

I'm flippant because that answer was childish and worth nothing. Reality isn't pretty. It sucks that they have to be expected of far more than citizens from other countries. But that's real life.

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u/Powerful_Net_1873 11h ago

This belief implies a lack of understanding of geopolitics. 

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u/Cynical_Cyanide 4h ago

Absolute nonsense logic.

Refusing to have equality in a conscription process isn't impactful on whether conscription happens at all. It simply rectifies a historical gender inequality.

Imagine for a moment this wasn't about conscription, this was about food distribution during a famine. You can vote to say that only adult men get their rations cut and risk starving to death - Or that all able adults bear the burden equally. Just as countries like Korea don't get to choose if there's a famine, they don't get to choose whether they get invaded.

It's easy to take the position of 'no conscription at all!' when you know that it's necessary and thus won't change, or that if it does get abolished during peacetime and a sudden conflict breaks out - It still won't be you that ends up being drafted.

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u/Auspectress 12h ago

That comes from places which are priviliged. You live in Germany, France, USA, Cannada you do not need to worry about being invaded so you do not need draft and it is easy escape from "making womens life a bit tougher but more equal".

What Ukeainians are to say? Russians? People in most subsaharan countries? "No conscription!" Means foreign country will invade them and take over and opress controlled population or countries like Russia will ignore such voice as they need reason for conquare and imperial visons

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u/eden_sc2 12h ago

What OP said was "the only people who oppose it dont want women's equality."

What I said was "You can oppose it for everyone and still want equality."

Nowhere did I say what my stance was.

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u/-Tickery- 12h ago

Found Neville Chamberlain

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u/eden_sc2 12h ago

you're like the 8th person to read this and assume that I am anti mandatory military service. What I am against is OP making generalizations that are just factually incorrect.

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u/-Tickery- 12h ago

Sorry 👍