By love-89.com In the face of military threats from North Korea, South Korea has implemented mandatory military service, requiring all males aged 18 to 28 to enlist. Recent statistics reveal that nearly 20,000 South Koreans have renounced their citizenship over the past five years. This trend coincides with escalating tensions between the two Koreas, highlighted by the fact that a North Korean man recently crossed the maritime border into South Korea using a wooden boat, marking the third similar incident in just two months.
According to a report by the Korea News Agency, data obtained by Hwang Hee, a member of South Korea’s main opposition party, the Democratic Party, from the Military Manpower Administration shows that between 2020 and August this year, approximately 19,000 individuals aged 18 to 40 have given up their South Korean nationality. Of these, around 13,682 renounced their citizenship due to long-term overseas residency, particularly for studies, while 5,925 others chose not to retain South Korean nationality after initially holding dual citizenship.
Additionally, among South Koreans with foreign permanent residency, 2,947 voluntarily applied for military service.
On a related note, South Korean military officials reported that a suspected defectors crossed the western maritime border into South Korea on September 17. The Coast Guard noticed a small boat close to Baengnyeong Island, took monitoring measures, and assisted the vessel’s arrival in South Korea, although the identity and activities of the individual remain undisclosed.
Just days ago, North Korea announced plans to fully sever transport links with the South and establish a “solid defense framework” to permanently close and seal its borders. General Kim Myung-soo, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, informed lawmakers that North Korea’s actions appear aimed at preventing internal personnel from defecting to the South.
Moreover, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a “significant statement” through its state media outlet, KCNA, accusing South Korea of sending drones to invade the airspace over central Pyongyang on the nights of October 3, 9, and 10. This statement condemned the actions as a blatant violation of their “sacred national sovereignty and security,” and labeled them a serious political military provocation. North Korea’s defense authorities are reportedly preparing for various possible responses.
The North emphasized that this declaration serves as a final warning to South Korea; should any further drone incursions occur, they would take immediate action without prior warning. The statement included alleged images of the drones reportedly taken over North Korean airspace, along with pictures of the leaflets disseminated by those drones.
As food shortages and political oppression continue to afflict North Korea, the influx of defectors into South Korea remains a persistent phenomenon.