About half of Koreans support drafting women into the military, a poll suggests. Equal conscription for men and women has become a talking point amid deteriorating gender relations in Korea, and remarkably more women than men now support it.
In the Gallup Korea poll of 1,003 adults released on Sunday, 47 percent supported drafting only men into the military and 46 percent the drafting of both men and women.
Among male respondents, 51 percent called for drafting men only and 44 percent both men and women. But among female respondents, the percentages were 43 percent and 47 percent.
More than half or 51 percent of those aged 18-29, the current eligible age for military service, called for drafting both men and women compared to 37 percent who supported the conscription of men only.
Among female respondents of the age group, the proportions were 48 percent for equal conscription and 35 percent for men only, compared to 54 percent and 40 percent among their male counterparts.
Opinions were also nearly evenly divided over the introduction of a volunteer military. Some 43 percent approved of it while 42 percent want to maintain conscription.
"Five years ago, 48 percent were still in favor of conscription and 35 percent of a voluntary system," Gallup Korea said. "We're coming closer to a full public debate of a voluntary system."
Meanwhile, 68 percent believe that military service is useful to conscripts, down from 82 percent in 2011 and 72 percent in 2016. Men in their 20s were the least convinced at 49 percent, compared to 82 percent of men over 60.
