ROK Military Criticized for Recruiting Video Encouraging Young Koreans to Lose Weight
It appears those sensitive about being overweight are unhappy with the ROK military for trying to encourage young people to lose weight so they can serve in the military:
The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) has taken flak over a promotional video that critics say disparages those assigned to non-combat duties for their mandatory military service due to health or other reasons.
Korea Times
On Nov. 5, the MMA posted video footage on its YouTube channel in which an active service member on leave talks over a meal with his friends, who haven’t been enlisted yet, about life in the barracks.
The problematic part was about the service member’s physical grade. While all able-bodied men in Korea must serve in the military, only those who receive grades of 1 to 3 in their heath examination serve in the military, while those who receive a grade of 4 are assigned to less physically demanding duties, mostly public service positions at public organizations, and those who get a grade of 5 are exempt from duty.
In the video, the man said that he was initially given a grade of 4, but joined the military after losing weight through an MMA program and improving his grade. The project helps those who receive a grade 4 or 5, due to extreme obesity or other health reasons, to get support from hospitals, fitness clubs or public health centers, to lose weight or improve their condition if they want to serve in combat positions.
The man said, “I applied for the project because I thought it fits well with my character,” and the friend replied, “You can proudly call yourself a man only when you fulfill the military service.”
This video has drawn a barrage of criticism for disparaging people who receive grades of 4 or 5 and take public service positions instead of combat duty.
You can read more at the link.
Awwww the poor little couch potatoes had their feewing hurt…
Time they got the word that no one owes them anything. Including respect. They need to earn it.
Korea would still be a Japanese or Chinese vassal if everyone acted that way.
Rokdrop really needs to read the news correctly, the commercial has nothing to do with telling young Koreans to lose weight. The criticism was aimed against people who serve as social workers as something low for a man to do, instead of combat duty.
setnaffa stop with your nonsense boomershit. Maybe is better for US troops to get out of my country and allow SK to build their own nukes, huh?
To be fair, since the main character in the video talked about losing weight, it is one of the key points here.
However, the title and the introductory words, although not 100% incorrect does give the wrong impression and makes it look like GI Korea does not fully understand the matter.
The MMA, the Korean version of the US’s Selective Service System carries out physicals for military aged males and gives them a grade according to the results and the grading criteria.
Getting a grade 4 or 5 does not simply mean that the guy is overweight.
Besides weight, other criteria for getting the above grades are poor eyesight, physical disabilities or previous injuries, etc.
For example let’s say a guy gets into a serious car accident. He recovers and can lead a normal life but he may have injuries that although healed may not make his body be able to handle the rigors and demands of military life.
So the guy gets a grade 4 from the MMA doctor, which means that the MMA has recognized his situation and declared that he’s suitable for public service duty only.
It wasn’t his choice, there’s nothing wrong with the above and ok the guy may become the butt of jokes, but at least he’s not one of the several Korean males who use connections, money, and loopholes to skip out on national service altogether.
So, when you put the above into perspective, pretty much what the MMA is doing with the video is shooting itself in the foot.
@TOK, in my opinion this video is not targeted at someone who was in a major car accident and has a severe disability and can’t serve in the military. It is targeted instead at the obese and unhealthy to take up this program to get fit enough for military service. The Korean military is likely facing the same issues the US military has with a decreased pool of fit recruits due to obesity and poor health of many young military age people.
It is targeted instead at the obese and unhealthy to take up this program to get fit enough for military service.
@GIKorea
The Korean military unlike the US military is not an all volunteer force.
The only volunteers are the youngsters who choose to join one of the four military academies or the service NCO schools.
The rest are conscripts who do not look forward to putting their lives on hold for a government who do not appreciate their service and a military who considers them as nothing more than cheap labor.
So for potential conscripts who choose to go through national service, it’s more like “Let’s get this thing over with”.
Which means potential conscripts will not put much effort into getting good grades for their MMA physicals and for those who have been designated grades 4 or 5, they won’t complain.
The key takeaway here is this;
“You can proudly call yourself a man only when you fulfill the military service.”
IMO, that statement is rich considering it is coming from an organization that gave out those grades and a government and military who have done little to improve the welfare of conscripts, and in some cases have caused pain and suffering by denying them proper health care when seriously injured during duty.
It’s also unrealistic, and yes it’s disparaging those who have been given grades 4 by the MMA and went through their national service.
If the MMA wanted to encourage potential conscripts with the advertised programs because of the lack of available manpower, sure no problem with that, but they should have taken the above statement out.