South Korean ex-air force officer sparks debate on conscripting women to boost birth rate

Kim Hyung-chul, head of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, a defence ministry-affiliated think tank, said enlistment served as an opportunity for men and women to meet, mingle and advance their relationships.

“We have reached a point where women need to serve in the military. In that case, men and women would sleep in separate rooms in the barracks, but they would still live together like in university dormitories,” Kim told a South Korean YouTube channel last month.

He added: “Naturally, couples would form. And this camaraderie could lead to more marriages and eventually more babies.”

Kim also suggested that women can be assigned combat roles during emergencies.