Am I a Criminal?

Hello. Welcome to my well, where I drop pennies of thought- or sometimes nickels. In the past two weeks of 11AP, we've been focusing on a variety of topics, but mainly these topics have revolved around war, whether it be memorials or the significance of fact and fiction in The Things They Carried. But after reading The Partly Cloudy Patriot, I noticed that some of my beliefs aligned with Sarah Vowell's. One of the core principles that our nation was built upon is freedom of speech. Patriotism, by definition, is defined as vigorous support for one's country. Vowell's argument is that by questioning the government, or speaking our minds, are we or are we not being patriotic?

As a Korean-born citizen, I am required by law to be registered for conscription, or mandatory military service. The current law, enacted in 1965, applies to males aged 18-35. As of now,  I am a permanent resident in the U.S. But when duty calls, will I be forced to give up everything I have in America and spend the next two years with my life on the line? I guess it's true that as a citizen of Korea, I must perform my civil duties and do as the government says, thereby being patriotic. As the Korean War never really ended, North Korea continues to be perceived as a threat, so South Korea needs to have an active military on standby. The thing that bothers me the most is that the smallest things can be considered evading military duty. Punishments can include jail time to even banishment from the country. In 2002, Steve Yoo, a Korean-Amerian pop singer, dodged his service by becoming a U.S. citizen through naturalization. The Korean government then deported and permanently banned him from the country. My parents decided to immigrate to America after my sisters and I were born, so most of my life has taken place in the United States. If I were to naturalize and become a U.S. citizen, is that considered dodging military service? Will I be banned from the country? Sure, it will seem like I'm just trying to avoid the draft, but why am I not allowed to live the life I want in the country I like? Most of my relatives reside in Korea, so I'll inevitably have to visit. Will my U.S. citizenship strip me of this right? I'll state it clearly- I do not want to be drafted. I do not want to simply give up two years of my life. Korea can call me whatever it wants to, but I should be able to make my own life choices. America, despite its recent controversies, has been a great home and I intend to stay here for good. But does this profile me as a criminal? If I was born in America, there would be no issue in the first place. But how could I have controlled this? Because I happened to be born in Korea, am I betraying the country by becoming a U.S. citizen? How can they just assume that the only reason I naturalized is to avoid military service? 

When reading "On the Rainy River," a chapter in The Things They Carried, I could relate to O'Brien. He says, "It was a moral split. I couldn't make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile," (O'Brien 42). In the same way, I definitely fear going to war. However, I do not fear exile. If wanting to live in America, to them, means that I'm betraying their country, then why do they allow emigrations in the first place? People travel to see the world, and maybe find a better place to live. Why is it that in doing so, I risk being exiled from my home country? If anything, I believe that South Korea should rethink its policies when it comes to drafting. More and more people are immigrating to the United States looking for opportunity and a fresh start. Why not accept this and adapt to new circumstances? If Korea refuses to change their rules, then I refuse to change my perspective and decision.

For a perspective on what the military service is like, check out this video.