When we consider the concept of “youth culture,” the military isn’t something that necessarily pops to mind. And it's definitely not the first topic we associate with millennials, or what it means to be living as a youth in East Asia. But if you stop to think about it, the military is definitely something that plays a large role in the lives of many Asia Pacific millennials, and especially so in South Korea and in Taiwan, where military service is mandatory.
In this episode of The Youth Element, join us as we explore how South Korea and Taiwan’s military service is more than just a stage in a young person's life. We’ll be looking at not only how today's generation of youth feels about national service and its purpose in their respective societies, but we’ll also look at how other aspects of life and culture are influenced by the military – from geopolitics to k-pop.
Additional Reading:
South Korea
- Fairlane Raymundo, Should MC Mong, Se7en & Others be Allowed to Come Back?, Spinditty, February 4, 2015.
- Gene Kim and Will Wei, South Korea Requires All Males to Serve in the Military — Here's What it's Like, Business Insider, May 21, 2017.
- The Guardian, North Korean Torpedo Sank Cheonan, South Korea Military Source Claims, April 22, 2010.
- Mark McDonald, ‘Crisis Status’ in South Korea After North Shells Island, November 23, 2010.
- Peter Foster, South Korea Warship Sinking: The Top 10 Conspiracy Theories, The Telegraph, June 4, 2010.
- Ryan General, Why a K-Pop Legend is No Longer Allowed Back in South Korea, Next Shark, February 24, 2017.
- Stella Kim, A Dreaded Rite of Passage: South Korea’s Mandatory Military Service, Brown Political Review, December 1, 2013.
- Thuy Dong, TVXQ Share The Hardships Faced During Military + What Turning 30 Years Old Means To Them, HelloKpop, August 21, 2017.
- Whatadrama, Korean Celebrities who will Enlist in the Military in 2017, Dramafever, January 30, 2017.
Taiwan
- Department of Compulsory Military Service, Substitute Military Service Centre, Taipei City Government, July 2, 2013.
- J. Michael Cole, Taiwan’s Compulsory Military Service: Fix it or Drop it, The News Lens, June 6, 2016.
- Shang-su Wu, Taiwan's Military Conscription Dilemma, The Diplomat, August 30, 2016.
- The Taipei Times, Ministry Says Army Conscription to be Maintained in 2017, August 17, 2017.
China
- China Daily, Chinese Students Receive Military Training, July 31, 2016.
- Diandian Guo, Chinese University Students: Compulsory Military Education Cause for Complaint, What's on Weibo, July 15, 2016.
- Eric Jou, The Lighter Side of China's Compulsory Military Training, Kotaku, September 16, 2013.
- Yojana Sharma, In China, College Students Question Mandatory Military Training, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 22, 2015.
