Miltary hazing

Nude Riot Police Pictures Prompt Uneasy Questions
Civic Group Releases Dozens of Nude Soldier Photos
More Revealing Soldier Photos Embarrass Authorities

I posted something on this a couple of days ago and then took it down because I don't really understand Koreans enough to comment on their general character (and I had); however...I find this whole thing disturbing. In countries where military service is voluntary, I can say, "Well, they knew going in what it would be like and they chose to do it anyway." This doesn't make it right - just less troubling. In Korea, 2 years of military service is compulsory for any healthy man (except for the rich and politically connected). If I were a parent, and the kind of abuse that seems common was going to happen to my son during his service, I would be out on the street demonstrating with other concerned parents and I wouldn't stop until the abuse stopped. I'd get parents and lawyers together and file a class action suit. I'd personally sue anyone who was involved. That people in positions of power who should be protecting these young men say things like:

...Gangwon police said the taking of nude photos was a time-honored practice in the barracks of the unit when members were promoted. (There's nothing honorable about this, and I guarantee that my students who are soon to enter the military don't think it is okay.)

Oh Chang-ik, director general of Citizens' Solidarity for Human Rights, said the fault lies with a culture “that doesn't view these acts as a problem..."

I know that Korea isn't the only country with problems like this in its military. Britain recently had a similar scandal, and I wouldn't put it past Canadian soldiers to do this. However, I suspect that it is much rarer in Britain and Canada. My students who have completed their military service say that all forms of abuse are really common. Part of the reason they say is that the NCO's are often poorly educated and from a lower class than most of the recruits, and the NCO's relish the opportunity to inflict pain on people that they know would look down on them if they were outside the military.

In addition to the abuse, one student told me that, when he was in basic training, they were forced to abseil down a cliff with no training. He claimed that several recruits broke bones and one died. Those who refused were kicked, punched, and eventually forced over the edge.

Suicide is much more common than in the general populace, and at least a few recruits have gone "postal".

This is not a voluntary army. I think that parents, politicians, military officers, and the police all have a great responsibility to protect these young men who are completing compulsory service. There is no excuse for the abuse they suffer. When I look at some of my students, especially the sensitive unsporty types, I feel really sorry for them as they prepare to enter the military.

I have always felt that Korean military service has a negative affect on Korean men. I think that they are brutalized and become more brutal. Those who come out relatively unscathed have my respect.