By Jun Ji-hye
An increasing number of permanent overseas residents and those with dual citizenship are volunteering for military service although they are not obligated to enroll, the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said Tuesday.
The agency regards the growing enlistment as a good sign indicating that an increasing number of men believe that they should not evade mandatory military service.
According to the MMA, a total of 604 overseas Korean residents and dual citizens voluntarily joined the military last year ― more than a threefold gain compared with statistics from 2010.
There has been a steady increase in recent years ― 191 in 2010, 221 in 2011, 280 in 2012, 326 in 2013 and 456 in 2014.
Under the standing laws, military service of Korean citizens who hold permanent residency status in other countries can be postponed until they turn 37. Then, their obligation to serve in the military is finally waived when they turn 38.
This means that overseas residents can choose to serve in the military or not by choosing whether to return to Korea before they become 38.
The standing laws also stipulate that dual citizens are not conscripted if they abandon their Korean nationality before they become 18.
The MMA said that the fact that an increasing number of overseas residents and dual citizens have volunteered for military service resulted from changes in their perceptions regarding conscription.
“They might think that they need to fulfill the compulsory term of service if they want to work or be employed in Korea,” an MMA official said.
Currently, those who dodge enlistment by changing nationality can encounter disadvantages when seeking employment with Korean companies or obtaining business approval here in accordance with standing laws.
Another official said that the military’s efforts to improve the environment in barracks have also contributed to encouraging overseas residents and dual citizens to serve in the military.
The MMA has been working to strengthen sanctions against those who give up their Korean citizenship to dodge mandatory military service.
In March, the agency commissioned a study into whether the government can levy heavier taxes such as inheritance and gift taxes on those who abandoned their Korean citizenship before fulfilling their obligation to serve in the military.
Other measures being examined by the MMA include denying promotions to government high-ranking officials if their sons change their nationality with the purpose of evading their required military service.
According to the MMA, a total of 148,138 men who are liable for conscription are staying abroad as of at the end of last year.
As part of efforts to encourage those people to fulfill their military duties, the MMA on Tuesday invited 25 defense attaches scheduled to be dispatched to 22 countries including the U.S., and gave an explanation about the fulfillment of military service by Koreans residing abroad.
All able-bodied Korean men are required to serve as soldiers for about two years, as South and North Korea are still technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.