South Korea is not considering conscripting women — Korea Herald

South Korean authorities are not currently considering introducing mandatory military service for women, despite the rapid decline in the number of potential conscripts. Hong So-young, head of the Military Manpower Administration, stated this during a parliamentary inspection in Daejeon, Korea Herald reports.

According to her, neither the Military Manpower Administration nor the Ministry of Defense is currently considering such a possibility. Hong stressed that a social consensus must be reached before deciding to introduce conscription for women, especially given the expected acceleration in the decline of the number of men of conscription age after 2040.

Women among officers and non-commissioned officers

Instead of suddenly introducing conscription for women, the defense ministry and the Military Manpower Administration are gradually increasing the share of women among officers and non-commissioned officers. The issue of female conscription was raised by lawmakers from both the ruling party and the opposition. In particular, lawmaker Yoo Yong-ha called for a formal discussion to begin, citing examples of Denmark, Israel, Norway and Sweden.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Another lawmaker, Cheon Ha-ram, proposed considering a gender-neutral conscription system. According to the Military Manpower Administration, the number of men around the age of 20, who make up the main pool for conscription, could fall to approximately 143,000 in 2040 and around 120,000 in 2043.

Alternative service and exemptions

Hong also said that the agency will soon announce the results of its review of alternative service and exemption programs. The administration shares the Defense Ministry's position on gradually reducing such programs before abolishing them altogether.

The issue intensified after the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where South Korea's men's national football team won gold by defeating Japan 1-0 in the final. An Asian Games gold medal or an Olympic medal allows athletes, after basic military training, to serve as sports personnel rather than in regular troops. Hong expressed regret over statements and actions by certain athletes that, according to critics, devalued mandatory service.