What is Going On With the ROK Army?

The Lost Nomad points out this mass shooting just up the road from me in Yeoncheon, by a disgruntled ROK Army soldier.

A South Korean soldier threw a grenade at his commander and then opened fire on his fellow soldiers Sunday near the border with communist North Korea, killing eight and injuring two others, the Defense Ministry said.

Kim Dong-min, 22, told military investigators he threw the grenade in an army barracks packed with sleeping soldiers out of anger when he saw a senior soldier who had often yelled at him, according to Army spokesman Chang Suk-gyu.

Five soldiers died in the explosion. Another three were killed when Kim then took a rifle from a fellow soldier and opened fire, the spokesman said. Kim fired some 40 shots, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

Suicides have been on a sharp increase, then there was the human feces scandal, then the continuing draft dodging, and corruption scandals.

What is going on with the ROK Army? I have posted my thoughts about this before, but these increasing incidents are a reflection of the changing attitudes of Korea’s youths toward mandatory military service. I have seen it myself in how much the attitudes of Korea’s KATUSA soldiers have changed over the years.

Military service in Korea used to be looked at as the last challenge to over come before becoming a real man. Now it is just something to be avoided at all costs. With USFK slowing decreasing forces and a shake up of the ROK-US alliance a possibility Korea will have to depend even more heavily on conscripted soldiers. It is difficult to turn volunteer youths into combat ready soldiers, I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for the ROK Army to make their conscripts combat ready soldiers when the majority of Korea’s younger generation think of Kim Jong Il as a quirky uncle with no hostile intentions towards South Korea, instead of the agressive tyrant that he is.

To ensure strict obedience from the conscripts the ROK Army uses heavy handed tactics which causes increasing disent and suicides among the ranks. Once the USFK forces complete their reduction these same protestors bashing the American Army will then turn their attention towards the ROK Army and begin bashing them because they don’t want to do their mandatory service.

If the ROK Army goes to an all volunteer force the government would have to greatly increase the defense budget. To recruit soldiers the Army would have to offer good pay, housing, above average health care, and college education benefits. All this takes a lot of money which Korea doesn’t have right now. The arguement over the money needed for the Yongsan Garrison move will seem like small change compared to this. Soon Korea will not be able to rely on the US’s defensive umbrella and have to defend for themselves. Once this reality sinks in will Korea be willing to spend the money to be truly independent of the US military?

This is why I have always felt it is foolish for the Korean government to continue to prop up Kim Jong Il because the South Korean youth are slowly losing the will power to defend this country. If South Korea was able to reunify sooner rather than later than they can avoid the upcoming crisis in regards to filling the ranks of the ROK Army.

President Roh always said he wanted a more equal relationship with the US, well it appears he might be on his way to getting it along with all the problems that come with it.