Conscription in South Korea
The basis for military conscription in South Korea is the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, which was promulgated on July 17, 1948. The constitution states in Article 39, "All citizens shall have the duty of national defense under the conditions as prescribed by Act." The Military Service Act of 1949, which was implemented in 1957, specified that compulsory military service is required for men ages 19 or older. Conscription is managed by the Military Manpower Administration, which was created in 1948.
Conscription in North Korea
Skilled workers, technicians, members of some government organizations, and children of political and military notables are often excluded from conscription. Some 30 percent of male middle school students, usually sons of the elite, are exempt from the draft to progress directly through high school to college or university. For instance, Kim Jong-il never went through the compulsory military service. In addition the privileged, those considered politically unloyal (those with particularly bad "songbun") are also exempt from service.