In South Korea, a professor has come up with a controversial plan to solve the country's shortage of soldiers: mobilize 55 - to 75-year-old people to join the army and form an "old age army."
This plan is not based on imagination, but on an in-depth analysis of South Korea's current demographic and social reality.
According to data, South Korea's birth rate continues to decline, has dropped to 0.78, only 235,000 births in 2023, and conscription will become increasingly difficult over time.
At the same time, however, South Korea's elderly population is growing, with 6.91 million men currently aged 55 to 75.
Even if only 1% of the elderly volunteer to join the army, it can provide tens of thousands of war preparedness forces for the country, and fundamentally solve the problem of insufficient soldiers.
The plan has other potential benefits, not just in terms of manpower. For example, with a staggering 40.4 percent poverty rate among the elderly in South Korea, far ahead of any other country, enlisting them in the military would not only ease retirement problems, but also improve their economic situation.
In addition, according to international law, prisoners of war should be treated humanely, and if the elderly are captured, they can at least get basic living security, which will also reduce the burden of old-age care for the country.
However, the plan has faced many challenges and controversies. Older people generally have poor physical fitness and are not suitable for high-intensity tasks, and they may suffer from a variety of underlying diseases, increasing the pressure on logistical support.
In addition, the elderly joining the army may cause moral and ethical controversies, and even affect the country's international image.
Therefore, when considering this plan, the South Korean government needs to comprehensively evaluate its advantages and disadvantages and take corresponding measures to regulate and manage it.
While solving the problem of manpower, attention should also be paid to improving the living conditions of young people and raising the fertility rate to ensure long-term stability and sustainable development of the country.
To sum up, although the proposal for the elderly to join the army is innovative and feasible, it needs to carefully consider various factors in the process of policy formulation and implementation to ensure that it can truly make a positive contribution to the long-term interests and development of the country.
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