Korea prepares its multicultural diaspora for military draft

A young Korean-Vietnamese dual national completes his mandatory military health screening at the Daejeon-South Chungcheong Regional Military Manpower Administration, Thursday. Courtesy of Military Manpower Administration

Growing up in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City with one Korean parent, military service in a distant homeland often feels like a foreign obligation.

Korea’s Military Manpower Administration set out to change that Thursday, opening its doors to a group of multicultural Korean-Vietnamese youth for an immersive trial of the nation's draft system.

South Korea enforces a mandatory military service system requiring all able-bodied adult men to serve for 18 to 21 months to maintain defense readiness against North Korea. The new initiative brought about 20 youths and chaperones to military facilities in Daejeon and North Chungcheong Province, marking an expansion of government efforts to integrate the diaspora into that national defense apparatus.

Under the banner of the "Overseas Citizens Military Service Connection Project," the program targets young dual-nationals and overseas residents, helping them navigate a complex civic duty every South Korean male must eventually face.

Three participants born in 2007 — who reached the official draft age this year — found that the experience went beyond simple observation. At the Regional Military Manpower Office in Daejeon, they underwent actual physical examinations, taking their first formal steps toward enlistment. Younger participants visited career planning centers, exploring military specialties and trying on tactical gear, while translators smoothed over language barriers for teenagers who have spent most of their lives speaking Vietnamese.

The trial comes at a pivotal demographic moment for Korea.

Faced with one of the world's lowest birthrates and a rapidly shrinking pool of young conscripts, the nation is increasingly looking toward its growing multicultural population — particularly children of Korean fathers and foreign mothers — to help maintain its military strength. Concurrently, the state is keen to foster a sense of civic identity among dual-nationals living abroad who might otherwise forgo their citizenship to avoid enlistment.

"Growing up in Vietnam, the military system felt complicated and foreign," said one participant after completing his physical exam. "Taking the actual test helped me understand the process and eased the burden I felt about my obligation."

Another young attendee noted that standing in the examination hall instilled a newfound sense of civic responsibility, promising to practice his Korean language skills before entering the ranks.

Later in the day, the delegation toured historical military archives at Government Complex Daejeon before visiting the Army’s 37th Infantry Division in Jeungpyeong, North Chungcheong Province, to inspect barracks and operational facilities.

Government officials emphasized that the pilot project for youth raised in Vietnam is merely a starting point. As cross-border marriages and international migrations continue to reshape the fabric of South Korean society, defense administrators plan to deepen partnerships with overseas diplomatic missions, ensuring that civic duty remains an accessible bridge, rather than a barrier, for the next generation of the Korean diaspora.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.