Friday, January 15, 2021

Talk about the military reserve forces.

Technically speaking, Korea is still at war. We are in an armistice. That's why Korean men have to do mandatory military service for about two years. But even after being discharged from the military, their military duty isn't over.

Discharged soldiers remain active as members of a reserve forces unit. These reserve forces can be mobilized in case of emergency. Reserve soldiers must receive forces training each year. The training lasts 1 to 3 days. They brush up their battle-readiness and prevent their military skills from getting rusty. The training that a soldier receives is different depending on how many years have passed since he was discharged.

The training can be a pain in the neck for individuals, but it is necessary. The reserve forces are an integral part in maintaining Korea's military strength.

My son went in for military reserve training yesterday.

Oh, he still needs to go for training?

This is his last year.

Then will he be exampt starting next year?

Next year, he will be active in civil defense unit.

Oh, I guess that's right.