[Ask Hyojin] Military Service in Korea

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Did you know that most Korean men must serve a certain amount of time in the military mostly in their 20s? It’s a big part of every Korean man’s life that they can’t avoid even if they tried.

In this episode of Ask Hyojin, Hyojin is joined by Hyunwoo, who has already finished his duty years ago, to talk about military service in Korea. Enjoy the video and let us know how the army works in your country.

If you have any questions that you’d like Hyojin to answer in the next episode, leave them in the comment below! You can also browse through and watch all the episodes of Ask Hyojin here!

Korean Numbers (from Basic Counting to Calculations)

In any language and culture, numbers are an essential part of everyday life, but when you are learning a new language, learning numbers can be a bit of a challenge because the names of the numbers and related terms may be drastically different. You may also have to look at numbers and equations in a slightly different way than you are used. The only way to make this process easier is to actively practice using numbers in the language you are learning. Luckily, the function of numbers and the operations in which you can use them are universal, making the concept of numbers the same in every language!

Iyagi #20 – 군대 (= Military service) / Natural talk in 100% Korean
In this episode of Iyagi, we have Hyunwoo and Seokjin talk about military service in Korea 100% in Korean. Enjoy! Iyagi #20 – 군대 (= Military service) / Natural talk in 100% Korean.

[Ask Hyojin] Military Service in Korea
  • Annie

    My boyfriend is going in July… T_T

  • Domz Falle

    How about non-Korean people who become Korean citizens? Do they have to fulfill their duties in the military? Just asking.

    • Warren Feltmate

      They don’t have too. Neither do Korean males who have dual citizenship AND have lived outside of Korea for the last 20 years. There was recently a change to citizenship laws in Korea, allowing dual citizenship again. As part of this law, Koreans living in other countries, whose parents still have Korean citizenship, were allowed to accept Korean citizenship without applying. However, as have lived outside of Korea for most of their life and because they aren’t fluent in Korean and not accustomed to Korean society, they are exempt from military service.


    Thank you for picking up my questions in your video!!
    You are great! 감사합니다.

  • tuuli

    hello, i was wondering about the vacations and visiting times. So, is it hard to get the vacation or how much can they use their days in a row? My boyfriend is leaving for army soon, and i was wondering how is the visitations held and for how long? Can they make exceptions for those who travel from a long distance to see their loved ones? Sounds silly to ask about privileges, which obviously must be rare 😀 just super curious and hopeful!! 감사합니다!

    • Warren Feltmate

      They aren’t given vacation, so much as what we call “leave” in English. How much they get depends on what branch of the military they join, and usually is only for a weekend. You’re best to try doing a google search, if you haven’t already

  • Serenity Maria

    you stated that no one gets away from military service, but to my knowledge (correct me if I’m wrong) park ji sung didn’t do military service and he is definitely fit for it. what is the reason for him not doing military service if ‘no one can get away from the duty’

  • Leah

    This was really insightful! There’s not a lot of English websites or articles that explain what life is like for men during their military service. Thank you! For anyone interested in my experience