As many people may have heard, BTS, the well-known K-pop group, has been scheduled to go into the South Korean military. They were scheduled to go earlier, but given their large fan base, it was pushed back. In South Korea, it is mandatory that male citizens spend 18 months in the armed forces at the age of 28. This requirement does not change, even if you happened to be a world-renowned K-pop idol. South Korea isn’t the only country that provides compulsory military service.

There are a total of 49 countries that have compulsory military service. European countries take up most of the population. For example, according to www.soldierproject.org, “it is compulsory for all male Algerians from 19 years old and in good health to serve in the military.” The website also states that “the obligatory service duration is 2 years” and when they are 17, “male Algerians are expected to submit a copy of their birth certificate to enroll in the national list of military service census.” Some countries have the same age requirement, while others have a different age requirement for when males need to be in the military. There is also a difference in how many years they must serve in the army. 

The reason why there is a mandatory and compulsory military for many countries is that it provides benefits to all citizens and saves the government money. Citizens who had experience with this say that serving in the military has its pros and cons. One says that you get to experience making friends and forming bonds, but there is also trauma that comes with being in the military as well. If you refuse military service, www.usagov.com states that you may be prosecuted, face about five years in prison, and will be fined $250,000. Having to be a part of the military is serious for the sake of many people’s futures.