검색 상세

Conscription and Conflict : Feminist Voices in South Korea’s Conscription Discourse

징병제와 갈등: 한국 징병제 논쟁 속 페미니스트의 목소리

  • Aliyeva Ofelya (알리에바 오펠리아, 국제대학원 국제학과 국제개발협력전공)

초록/요약

Gender polarisation has emerged globally in recent years, especially in South Korea, where it has started playing a decisive role in electoral outcomes among young voters. A key flashpoint in this divide is the country’s male-only conscription system, which has shaped gendered relations since the country’s post-independence era. The abolition of the military extra points system, following feminist critiques of its discriminatory effects, marked the first major public conflict between feminists and emerging anti-feminist groups. However, despite its central role in gender debates, conscription remains underexplored within academia. This thesis challenges prevailing portrayals of feminists as indifferent to young men’s conscription-related grievances through in-depth interviews with 11 feminist-identifying individuals. The findings reveal that, far from being disengaged, feminist participants critically interrogate both the male-only conscription system and the anti-feminist push for female conscription, particularly criticising the state’s instrumentalisation of gender discourse to deflect systemic critique. The study also underscores the emotional labour and risk of backlash involved in feminist public engagement, framing the hesitation to engage in the conscription debate not as apathy but as a deliberate form of resistance. Drawing on existing polarisation frameworks, the thesis further suggests that growing scepticism among feminist individuals about the possibility of open dialogue with ideological opponents risks further reinforcement of societal divisions. Ultimately, the study calls for inclusive, critical dialogue on conscription that reflects the diversity and complexity of marginalised viewpoints in South Korea.

more

초록/요약

최근 전 세계적으로 성 양극화 현상이 두드러지게 나타나고 있으며, 특히 한국에서는 젊은 유권자층을 중심으로 성 양극화 현상이 선거 결과에 결정적인 영향을 미치고 있다. 이러한 갈등의 주요 쟁점 중 하나는 남성에게만 의무화된 병역 제도이며, 이는 해방 이후 한국의 성별 관계를 구조적으로 형성하는데 기여했다. 과거 병역 가산점 제도의 폐지는, 가산점 제도의 차별적 효과에 대한 페미니스트들의 비판 이후 이루어진 것으로, 이는 페미니스트와 신흥 반페미니스트 집단 간의 첫 대중적 충돌을 야기하였다. 그러나 징병제 제도는 성별 논쟁의 핵심임에도 불구하고 학문적으로 충분히 조명되지 않았다. 본 논문은 스스로를 페미니스트로 정체화하는 11인의 심층 인터뷰를 바탕으로 페미니스트들이 젊은 남성들의 병역 관련 불만에 무관심하다는 기존의 인식을 비판적으로 검토한다. 연구 결과, 페미니스트 참여자들은 징병제 제도에서 소외되어 있는 것이 아니라, 남성에게만 의무화된 병역과 여성 징병을 주장하는 반페미니스트 담론 모두를 비판적으로 성찰하고 있음을 확인하였다. 이들은 특히 국가가 구조적 비판을 회피하기 위해 젠더 담론을 이용하는 방식을 비판한다. 또한 페미니스트들의 공적 참여가 감정적 노동과 사회적 반발의 위험을 수반한다는 점을 부각시키며, 징병제 논쟁에서의 침묵은 무관심이 아니라 의도된 저항의 한 형태로 해석할 수 있음을 제시한다. 기존의 양극화 이론에 근거하여, 본 논문은 페미니스트들이 이념적 반대자들과의 공개적 대화 가능성에 대해 점점 더 회의적인 태도를 보이는 것이 사회적 갈등을 더욱 심화시킬 위험이 있음을 제시한다. 궁극적으로 본 연구는 한국 사회에서 징병제 제도에 대한 포괄적이고 비판적인 논의가 이루어져야 하며, 이는 소외된 관점의 다양성과 복합성을 반영해야 함을 강조한다.

more

목차

ABSTRACT I
국문 초록 III
PREFACE V
TABLE OF CONTENTS VI
LIST OF TABLES IX
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background and Research Problem 2
1.1.1 The Historical Evolution of Korea’s Conscription Discourse 2
1.1.2 Gender Polarisation in Korea and Beyond 7
1.2 Research Objectives 10
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 13
2.1 Shifting Societal Perceptions and the Extra Points Controversy 13
2.2 Emergence of Anti-feminist Backlash 15
2.3 Male-only Military Conscription as Gender Discrimination 16
2.4 Feminist Engagements in Conscription Debates 18
2.4.1 Feminist Opposition to Conscription 19
2.4.2 Feminist Support for Conscription 20
2.5 Problems with Discursive and Political Framing 21
CHAPTER 3. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 25
3.1 Contentious Politics: Social Movements and Countermovements 25
3.1.1 Framing: Constructing Meaning in Contentious Politics 27
3.2 Polarisation and Gender Conflict 28
3.3 Backlash, Militarised Modernity and Masculinity 32
CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN 35
4.1 Methodology 35
4.2 Research Design 35
4.2.1 Interview Participants 35
4.2.2 Data Collection and Analysis 38
CHAPTER 5. RESEARCH FINDINGS 41
5.1 Feminist Engagement with the Conscription Discourse 42
5.1.1 Conscription as a Difficult Topic of Discussion 43
5.1.2 Consequences Associated with Engagement with the Conscription Discourse 47
5.1.3 Contextual Factors Shaping Feminist Engagement 51
5.1.4 Discussion: Legacy of Militarised Modernity and Risk of Backlash 54
5.2 Framing Feminist Perspectives on Conscription with a Focus on Female Conscription 56
5.2.1 Male Burden and Notions of Discrimination 57
5.2.2 Interpretation of the Existing Support for Female Conscription 61
5.2.3 Prognostic Framing: Proposed Solutions by Feminist Actors 64
Female Conscription as a Potential Strategy Towards Achieving Gender Equality 65
Feminist Rejection of Conscription: Advocacy for Female Conscription as a Misguided Strategy 69
Reimagining Conscription: Voluntary System, Expansion of Alternative Forms of Service and Abolishment 75
5.2.4 Discussion: Framing Feminist Perspectives on Conscription 79
5.3 Conscription as Contested Terrain: Gender Conflict and Political Discourse 81
5.3.1 Gender Conflict as a Discursive Frame 81
5.3.2 Frustration with the State: Political Instrumentalisation of Conscription in Gender Conflict Discourse 85
5.3.3 Female Conscription as a Means of Mitigating Gender Conflict 87
5.3.4 Discussion: Current State of Gender Polarisation in Korea 88
5.4 Navigating Constraints and Reimagining Dialogue 91
5.4.1 Constraints of Political Reality 91
5.4.2 Toward Inclusive and Transformative Dialogue on Conscription 95
5.4.3 Discussion: Concluding Reflections 100
CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSION 103
6.1 Summary and Contributions to the Literature 103
6.2 Limitations and Future Directions 107
REFERENCES 110

more
반출 Meta View 목록