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South Korea is a country that requires its young people to participate in military service. Photo/Reuters
WASHINGTON – Most countries around the world abolished military conscription after the end of the Cold War with the collapse of Communism, but several countries in Europe are now considering reintroducing conscription after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Latvia, which borders Russia, plans to reintroduce military conscription. Starting in 2024, all men between the ages of 18 and 27 will have to serve 11 months in the military, and starting in 2028, around 7,500 Latvians will be conscripted annually.
Estonia and Finland have never abolished military conscription, although other countries have. Ukraine reinstated military conscription after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and after Moscow ordered a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, the government in Kyiv introduced a law requiring all men aged 18-60 to be conscripted. Lithuania introduced conscription in 2015 for all men between the ages of 18 and 25.
Many countries in Asia also require mandatory military service due to their security needs. Israel, for example, mandates all Jewish, Druze, or Circassian citizens over the age of 18 to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). South Korea and North Korea have been at odds with each other for decades. Both countries have conscription, a law that arose from the possible need for manpower in the event of war between the two neighboring countries.
Conscription presents its own challenges and may not be the answer to a country's military needs. For starters, the country will likely face opposition at the domestic and international level from human rights groups due to its anti-democratic stance and the associated risks to the lives of those involuntarily required to serve in the military. Additionally, this increases financial costs and may leave little room for countries to develop military capabilities, such as advanced technology and weapons systems.
10 Countries Implement Large-Scale Military Compulsion
1. South Korea
Photo/Reuters
According to Insider Monkey, all able-bodied South Korean men aged between 18 and 28 are required to serve 1.5 to 2 years in the military as part of the mandatory military program to guard against threats from North Korea.
However, there are exceptions for artists and athletes who bring achievements to the country, such as winning national or international awards, medals at the Olympics or Asian Games.
2. North Korea
Photo/Reuters
According to Insider Monkey, military registration occurs twice a year in North Korea in April and August. School graduates usually register when they are 18 years old. Men are required to do military service for a period of 10 years.
Women usually served voluntarily until 2015 when Pyongyang also introduced mandatory military service for women, which would begin after high school graduation and end when they were 23 years old. North Korea has the longest mandatory military service in the world.
3. Ukraine
Photo/Reuters