From: joh@eos.ncsu.edu (JHONG OH)
Subject: Re: <Why I was in army) Re: Service in Korea
Originator: joh@c50014-209ps.ie.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: joh@eos.ncsu.edu (JHONG OH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 06:23:45 GMT


In article <1992Nov20.062008.2588@tc.cornell.edu>, jfe@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu (Brian Chung) writes:
|>>>	To me, your logic is that of a Cold War warrior who just cannot
|>>>face the reality that the communism is dead and we are entering a new era.
|>>>(How's that for a comeback?)  So, why is that nobody intimidates Japan and
|>>>Germany?  It certainly isn't their military strength.  What's even worse,
|>>>you actually propose increasing military spending to defend from China?
|>>>Here is a better plan.  Increase our foreign aid and foreign investment
|>>>in China.  Help China stabilize economy.  A stable country has no reason
|>>                                           ------------------------------
|>>>to invade any country.  And with this plan, we actually get something
|>>----------------------
|>>>besides peace; we get a huge market.
|>	  First of all, you do have to admit, a country whose economy is in
|>shambles is a lot more likely to start a war than a country whose economy
|>is a lot more stable. 
	good point ! which the North Korea is in now !  

I've been reading the series of debates on mandatory military
service for a while. In general I agree on the fact that 2.5
years of army life really sucks (I served about that much)even if I think
it is a honorable thing since it is the duty as is mandated by the
Korean Law which we voted for.
I, however, doubt that now is the time for us to change the Korean
military system into a peacetime system. You and the others on the
net seem to agree on the end of communism and the cold war. Now it 
seems that the threat form those commies has significantly reduced
even though we have the last and hungriest commy brothers on the
north side of the border, which is annoying. The problem we have as I
see it is that we do not clearly see what the new world order will be
which will replace the cold war order. We do not know how the now order 
will affect our nation. Is the new order in favor of us or against us ?
Is there any guarantee that a prosperous China would not seek any form
of control over korea in the future ? Would the relationship with U.S.
last as it has been until now ? Will there be any order anyway ?
Is the cold war really over ? Will Russia maintain the right course 
toward capitalism ? How nasty the EC and U.S. would get if the economy 
keeps downturning ? There are too many questions to ask while
we have few clear answers at hand.
My guess is that it would take at least a decade before we see the next 
world order settling down and read the new rule of the new game. I just 
hope that in the new order we don't have to spend our only 
natural resource (human power)too much on military duty.
The agneda for us now under these uncertainties is to prepare for 
the worst since at any point in history we lose our independence 
it may take another 36 years + 40 years of dictatorship to regain what 
we have now.
The above opinion does not necessarily mean that we have to mainatain 
our military system as it is in the new order. As the new order shapes 
itself over the years ahead we should wisely reform our defense strategy 
and our military structure to a more independent, self-sustaining
(economically, technologically, etc.), high tech system.  
IMHO, It is not the high time we changed the military system now. It 
is the right (or perhaps already too late) time to think and plan for
the uncertain future military needs of our nation. The bottom line is
, in the war, there is no excuse for losing it. We should be ever ready
for whatever probable threats against us at any time in the future. 
How much sacrifice and investment we should make for that ever-readiness?
Well, it depends on how good our neighbors turn out to be, which we have
no idea now. I just hope that the neighborhood turn out to be not so 
dangerous 'hood to live in. Until then we are free to voice whatever 
opinion we have on military service, but when it is our turn to serve we 
might just shut up (since arguing does not save you from bullet) and
spend (or waste according to your choice) 2.5 years on learning
shooting skills, survival techniques, health improvement, working as a team
and,social skills to mingle with various kinds of people from all over 
the country. 

Jhong Sik Oh
Dept. of I.E.
North Carolina State University
joh@eos.ncsu.edu

Ps. Is there Park MyungKyu (SNU '80 hakbeon, AERO Eng. perhaps in FSU?)
or Kim ByungSoo(SNU, 78 hakbeon, AEro Eng. Perhaps in GIT ?)