𝓱𝓪𝓮𝓲𝓼𝓫𝓪𝓮

1. EUNHAE SPEAKING ENGLISH AT KCON LA 2017!!!

All people who enlist in the military are considered conscripted soldiers, whether they go on to be active duty or serve as a police officer for example. But what’s the difference between the two? Check it out below….

-Active Duty Soldiers: Active duty usually means 5 weeks of basic training. The total time of service in the Army or Marines is 21 months. Because the Army requires less time and is not as difficult as the Marines, most people decide to join the Army. The Navy requires 23 months or service and the Air Force requires 24 months- more than any other branch of service. After basic training, you can be assigned as a regular soldier in infantry, etc, as a worker in a military hospital, or even as a musician in the military band (Sungmin currently plays saxophone for one of the military bands). Before, there was some special treatment for celebrities in the military, but due to public outcry, the rules have changed and celebrities serve as normal soldiers now (like Leeteuk).

-Public Service Officers: Usually they go through basic training of 4 weeks, sometimes 5. The total time of their service is longer than active duty (21 months) with public service officials usually serving 24 months (sometimes longer in special cases). After training, they can be assigned to a range of jobs such as riot police, public relations officer, a normal police officer, traffic cop or a public service official at a variety of government offices, etc. Many people who are not physically fit for active duty service become conscripted public service workers (like Heechul and his subsequent injuries from his accident or even Kyu Jong of SS501 because he carries the hepatitis virus) and fulfill their service with jobs that are not as physically demanding. Others, like Donghae, become conscripted police officers- technically conscripted soldiers who are just serving in a special service under the police department.

Donghae will enter the military basic training program for 4-5 weeks. After that, he will become a police officer for the Seoul Metropolitan Police. In order to enter this service, you must complete a test/exam. Some celebrities have passed it, while others did not. He will serve for 24 months before being discharged. As a police officer, he will *probably* enter a special squad like the riot police. The Korea times describes conscripted police officers in the following manner, “ combat police to fight North Korean infiltrators or help the police maintain public security.” There are many rumors about bad treatment of these police officers and their safety as they confront rioters or protesters, etc. I will post specific information about this in a separate post.

Eunhyuk, for example, will have basic training for 5 weeks, then become an active duty soldier for 21 months. So although some consider active duty more difficult, they are rewarded with shorter service time. Public service workers may enjoy jobs which are usually easier, but as a result, they are required to serve several more months than active duty soldiers.

Want more info? Check out this article on wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_South_Korea

[2 Fancam – parte 2] Concerto” U Clean” con Donghae