(By David Kim) By law all Korean male citizens are required to serve a 18 to 24 month duty in the military. Korean men typically serve their duty in their early or mid twenties. For those of us who are Korean Americans and that were either born in the states or immigrated when we were younger, we might not quite fully understand what the experience is like. However, for those who have served in the Korean military, it is a constant reminder of the ongoing tension between North and South Korea.

I had a chance to talk to a fellow Korean about his experience in the Korean military. For the most part he mentioned about how much he disliked it and how he would never want to go through it again. Even though every individual might have his own experiences, it seems as if most Korean males have a grudge against the military experience.

Due to this grudge there have been some cases of Korean men trying to avoid the required military service. One of the most famous cases involved pop star singer Yoo Seung Jun ( aka Steve Yoo). Steve Yoo was born as a Korean citizen and he even mentioned about how he was planning on serving the required military duty. Many people applauded him for representing his sense of pride and his willingness to go through what most of the Korean men do. However, he later changed his mind and wanted to apply for U.S. citizenship. [Read more...]