There is a Korean joke. Over dinner gatherings, what kinds of stories are hated the most by female colleagues and companions? The top three in reverse order are: stories of soccer, stories of military service and, most of all, stories of soccer games played in the military. Military experiences are deeply engraved in the psyche of ordinary Korean men and everyone gets emotional when the subject is raised. No wonder military service has become a touchy issue in the confirmation hearings of nominees for high-ranking positions. What else can you expect in a country that has existed in the shadow of an unfinished war for the past 61 years?

I was also changed in many respects by serving in the military. After working in the Foreign Ministry for two years, I took a leave of absence to fulfil my military service obligation. I still remember the windy day of April 1994 when I arrived at the gate of the military camp in Yeongcheon, right next to Daegu, and so began my time in the Army. Even though I was an officer, the 37 months I spent in Yeongcheon, Gwangju, Gimpo and Seoul were rough and full of surprises. The summers were extremely hot and the winters were unbearably cold ― not because of the actual weather but because of the demanding superiors and harsh conditions. But getting to know many good people and forming friendships with comrades gradually eclipsed the difficulties of the early part. It remains a bittersweet memory.

Unfortunately, people’s confidence in the military has reached an all-time low this year, and at the center of the decline stand a series of revelations of unspeakable abuse committed in the military ranks. The graphic details of mental and physical abuse are just beyond description and explanation. The fact that officers in charge looked the other way further shocked the people. In a country where everyone is connected to the armed forces through the mandatory conscription and the increasing number of female soldiers, the abuses have been taken to heart by everyone. To allay parents’ concerns, the Ministry of Defense is floating new ideas. Creating “peer platoons” of soldiers with the same ranks and providing access to mobile phones to privates are some of the measures being contemplated in order to reduce the possibility of human rights violations in the military barracks. Even changes to the current conscription system are being cautiously raised by some.

In Korea, those who have served in the military are aware of physical and verbal mistreatment in the barracks. Hazing has been another way of describing the military. Talk to any Korean man over a bottle of soju, and with a slight nudging, he will volunteer his own stories. But what has happened this year reaches the level of torture, a serious crime by any standard. Once their comrades become collective torturers and officers condone it, there is no one for new privates to turn to for help.

A root cause of Army harassment is the harsh environment in middle schools and high schools, where bullying is commonplace. When bullying is combined with limitless authority ― in barracks a sergeant’s authority is virtually unchallengeable among private soldiers ― it reaches an extreme. The majority of young men join the Army one or two years after graduating from high school, whether in college or otherwise. They bring their scars and twisted minds to the military and rise in the ranks.

It is sad that in a country where all males are supposed to serve in the military and the number of female soldiers is increasing, these horrible things are taking place. They undercut respect for the uniform, which is essential for those who will stand in the line of fire during the most urgent time for a country.

By Lee Jae-min

Lee Jae-min is an associate professor of law at Seoul National University. ― Ed.