Interview with a Former
Korean Army Sergent
The military. If you are Korean man, it's a place where you must spend a year alone in your life. Usually, young men enlist without any information
about life in the military. There is a saying that the military can be a hell or heaven depending on your mindset. It can be suffocating and suffering
for 18 months, but it also can be a good experience to learn social life through studying and meeting new people. I interviewed Ye Chan Lee, who
served as a sergeant in 2019. Since CMIS male students will be going to study abroad, I assume that they will enlist their military service late due to
studying. I hope that through this interview, CMIS male students will be able to learn what kind of mindset they should have before going to the
military.
What year did you decide to join the army? Is there any reason that
made you decide?
I decided to join the army in November 2018. The reason why I decided to go was because
people around me told me that it was best to go when I finished my first year of college, so I
joined the army in January 2019 after finishing the semester in December 2018.
At what age do you think you should join the army?
I think it's better to go as fast as possible. College friends think it's best to be 21-22 years old
to enlist into the military. For those who don't go to college and get a job right away, I think
20-21 is the most appropriate age
At what age did you join the army and why do you agree that you should
go to the army as soon as possible?
I joined the army in January when I turned 21, and I think it's better to go as fast as possible.
I don't know about my friends who go to four-year university, but I've seen a lot of cases
where two-year junior college students like me go to the army after graduation and find a
job. So I think it is better to slowly revive your major under the safe status of being a
student for a year after finishing the first grade.
Have you ever seen a case of joining the army at a late age?
Yes, 27 and 29 years old were a month apart from me.
What do you think about joining the army at a late age?
I thought there were reasons for their delay. And my guess was correct. I was
uncomfortable with the fact that I had a lot of age difference between them, but they
worked hard regardless of age and I got along well with them.
What unit did you serve in and what position did you receive?
I served in the military at a unit in Injae-gu, Gangwon- do, and I was in charge of cooking.
Was it the position you applied for? Or were you assigned randomly? If
you had applied for a position, would there have been a reason why you
applied for a specific position?
Yes, I applied by myself. I applied for food service because I heard that if I applied for a
food service my experience would be recognized in cooking and baking.
Could you please explain the day of the assignment?
I cook breakfast after waking up at 5:30 a.m. Soldiers cook breakfast after waking up at 5:30 a.m.
The soldiers prepare until 7 o'clock for breakfast, and clean up after 9 o'clock. And I prepare
lunch cooking from 9:30 and on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a mobile convenient store
vehicle comes on the 3rd week each month, so I cook lunch and clean up the vehicle together.
After lunch, I clean up by 1 and have free time from 1 to 4. I prepare dinner from 4 to 5:10. And I
clean up by 7 o'clock. Finally, before returning to the living room, I check what's on the menu for
tomorrow.
Can you tell me the pros and cons of the position you did during your
military service?
1. Advantages: Have more free time than other camaraderies.
a. The executives also think that cooking soldiers are harder than those around
them, so they take a lot of leaves every quarter.
2. Advantages: Training is often excluded.
a. Large training sessions are held, but occasional training sessions are held late at
night. Therefore, in the case of cooking soldiers who have to wake up early in the
morning to make rice, small training sessions are excluded.
3. Disadvantages: You have a lot of leave, but you can't use it at will due to a lack of
people.
a. One member is important because it is important to make a large amount of food
quickly within a given time. Therefore, if one person leaves, other people often
cannot go out.
4. Disadvantages: Lack of personal maintenance time.
a. Usually, soldiers start their personal maintenance time at 5:30 p.m., but the cook
is 7 p.m. when they come back from work. If you wash up and do something
there, it's 8 o'clock, but your personal maintenance time is until 8:30, so you can't
use more time than other soldiers. Assuming that they train in the evening,
soldiers use their cell phones before training, but in case of cooking soldiers, they
cannot use their cell phones on that day.
If you could choose another position instead of the one you chose,
which one would you choose? Why?
If I had to choose another position, I would like to be in charge of PX(Market). Because cool
air conditioners are guaranteed in summer and warm heating is guaranteed in winter.
Have you ever been proud of or proud of anything while serving in the
military?
I felt proud whenever the members of the unit ate deliciously and said thank you to me. I
was most proud when the division commander told me that it was delicious after eating
the food that our unit members had made.
Have you ever received a leave card as a reward while in the military?
Usually, the military had a lot of mountains, so there were many snakes. When I was a
trainee, I conducted first aid my colleague who got attacked by a snake and received a
leave card.
Do you have any tips for getting a leave card?
These days, 32.1% of soldiers have experienced beatings in the army,
63% in the navy, and 25% in the air force. Have you ever witnessed or
experienced a beating? If you have never experienced it, what do you
think is the reason?
No, I haven't.
I think it is because soldiers can report their own situation with anonymous guarantee.

You can get a leave card if you work for your motivation, seniority, and colleagues , not
your goal.
What advice would you like to give to young people who are planning to
join the military?
There are people who say, "You only need to go half way," but not at all. If you don't know
anything, it's the best choice to ask even if you get in trouble. Don't do what you think and
ask your predecessors. Never take off your hat in front of the terminal, or put on earphones
just because you're on leave.. You will be imprisoned for such triviality.

"There are people who say, 'You only need to go half way,' but not at all!' As Yechan Said, I agree that it would be good for you to do your best in the
position of serving in the army for 18 months. Although I have not entered or been discharged from the army, I agree with him because I know that
the more complaints about not only the army but also school and part-time jobs, the harder and weaker I become. As much as you worked hard at
CMIS, I believe that if you work hard in the military, you will get a very good outcome. I hope CMIS male students know that being in the army at a
late age or being in the army at a young age is not important. Your positive mindset is important!