Women in military becomes gender battleground in S. Korea

SEOUL • A heated debate in South Korea about mandatory military service for women is inflaming divisions between the sexes rather than narrowing social gaps, said Gender Equality Minister Chung Young-ai.

Ms Chung was responding to Bloomberg in an interview about whether young South Korean women should be made to join their male counterparts in serving in the armed forces.

The issue has been the subject of wide discussion since April, when ruling party lawmaker and 2022 presidential hopeful Park Yong-jin reacted to local election defeats by suggesting mandatory military service for women would promote gender equality.

Ms Chung said on Monday that the direction of the argument was "problematic".

She added: "The debate on women serving in the military didn't come from trying to achieve gender equality, but from voices who are asking women to experience the same disadvantages that men did."

Mr Park's proposal touched on a divisive issue that in some way affects almost all families in South Korea, which is technically still at war with North Korea and shares one of the world's most militarised borders.

An online petition to the office of President Moon Jae-in demanding female conscription had received almost 300,000 signatures as of Tuesday, surpassing a threshold that requires a response.

Mr Moon's progressive government has seen support among women erode ahead of a presidential election just 10 months away. It is trying to win back the crucial voting block to keep the top office when the President's single, five-year terms ends.

The trend contributed to the ruling Democratic Party's defeat last month in mayoral races in Seoul and Busan, South Korea's two largest cities.

Conscription has fostered employment perks that can benefit men when they complete their military service - and put women at a disadvantage as they start their careers.

The wage gap between the sexes in South Korea ranks among the largest in the developed world and clouds the country's long-term economic prospects. "The way we see it, our youth goes through struggles by serving in the military and we need to improve the environment for serving," Ms Chung, a former academic, said.

"This includes giving due credit to those that have finished their service. But this shouldn't justify discriminating against those who did not serve in the military, such as women or people with disabilities," she added.

South Koreans must focus on solving chronic problems such as income disparity, a low birth rate and systemic gender-based discrimination, Ms Chung said.

BLOOMBERG