First non-ethnic Korean lawmaker's son to begin military service

Lee Seung-geun, 20, poses with his mother Lee Jasmine, the first non-ethnic Korean and naturalized South Korean to become a lawmaker. He will enter a training camp of the Republic of Korea Army 35th Infantry Division in Imsil, North Jeolla Province on Sept. 6, according to Yonhap news agency. / Yonhap

By Hong Dam-young

The son of Lee Jasmine, the first non-ethnic Korean and naturalized South Korean to become a lawmaker, is going to join Korean army just like other Korean males.

Lee Seung-geun, 20, will enter a training camp of the Republic of Korea Army 35th Infantry Division in Imsil, North Jeolla Province on Sept. 6, according to Yonhap news agency.

There he will receive six weeks’ training before being stationed.

“I feel somewhat embarrassed and burdened from all the attention on my voluntary enlistment, which is what all healthy Korean males do,” said Lee on Sunday.

“For some time, I have been under the spotlight because of my mother’s popularity. But many people can’t tell that I am from a multicultural family from my appearance, unless I tell them. So I am not that worried about joining the army as a multicultural family member.”

Lee Jasmine is also no different from any other anxious mother who has a son to send away to the military.

“Military service is not mandatory in the Philippines, which is why I didn’t know how it is to send somebody close [her son] to an army,” she said. “I believe he will do fine, but I might burst into tears on the day of his enlistment.”

In 2010 the Military Service Act was revised to include multicultural family members for conscription. Before then, they had been excluded.

Lee Jasmine said her son had complained when he was young about not being able to join the army.

“But now the act has been revised and males who were born after 1993 are subject to military duty,” she said. “He once nagged me saying, ‘why haven’t you given birth to me years earlier?’”

“He used to consider not being able to go the army as discrimination against multicultural family members. But now that he is about to go into the army, he seems worried.”

Lee Jasmine made history in 2012 as the first Filipina and naturalized Korean to become a lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party, but has been target of racially based online attacks. / Yonhap

Born in the Philippines, Lee Jasmine became a naturalized South Korean in 1998 after marrying a Korean and coming to Korea in 1995.

She made history in 2012 as the first Filipina and naturalized Korean to become a lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party, but has been target of racially based online attacks because of her foreign background.

Seung-geun is a student on leave of absence after finishing his freshman year in college.

“My seniors have always told me that I am still naive because I didn’t go to the army yet,” he said. “I think I will learn a lot about life inside the army, separated from my family for 21 months."

“I will do my best at everything and work out hard to return home with a healthy body and mind.”