South Korean public backs extending mandatory military service to women

According to a study published on August 20 by the Reform Institute, almost six in ten South Koreans now favor mandatory military service for women, up from a long-standing taboo. Support is strongest among younger men, with 71.7% of those in their 20s and 30s in favor, and more than half of women across age groups also backing the change. The discussion resurfaces as the Defense Ministry reports a sharp decline in eligible male draftees, projected to fall to 120,000 by 2043, and as the nation prepares a new defense strategy this autumn.

Scholars point to evolving gender-equality expectations and the military's shift toward drones, cyber and other high-tech capabilities that lessen the need for physically demanding combat roles. Critics, including former infantryman Song Young-Chae, argue that resources should focus on advanced weaponry rather than expanding conscription. Professor Hyobin Lee cautions that adding a service requirement could increase the overall burden on women, potentially impacting marriage and childbirth in a country already facing a low birth rate. The government has formed a task force to overhaul the conscription system, though officials have not yet commented on compulsory service for women.