South Korea: no military service for young fathers from large families?

Children at a military ceremony in Gwangju, east of Seoul (Illustration image). ASSOCIATED PRESS - Ahn Young-joon

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1 min

In South Korea, President Yoon Suk-yeol wants bold action in the face of declining population. To encourage births, the government is considering exempting men with three children before the age of 30 from military service.

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With our correspondent in Seoul, Célio Fioretti

If the South Korean president is banking on the unpopularity of compulsory military service, the offer does not seem to convince young people. The measure is already considered ridiculous by a large part of the population. The proposal is hard to convince. These two students have just finished their service and remain perplexed.

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I don't think it's a very smart idea. It's quite questionable. This would make children tools to avoid military service. And even if it is, would it really be practical? " said one. "We have to maintain our army. I believe we have 600,000 troops, and we have to keep it at that level, in case the war happens. People in their twenties have a lot of pressure to have children and get married. I will go to the army, we learn a lot of things, "says another.

Women are the forgotten ones in government communication. The latter seem to be relegated to a status of baby machines, as many netizens have pointed out. "It can be a burden for women because it pushes us to have three children. I think Korean society is still sexist," said one. Beyond this measure, the government continues to consider ways to counter population decline.

► READ ALSO: For the first time, South Korea sees its population decline

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Read on on the same topics:

• South Korea
• Yoon Suk-yeol
• Defense