American coerced into South Korean army

Eight years ago, a 17-years-old boy living with his mom, dad and older brother in Pomona was ordered to go back to South Korea, where he was born, and serve in that nation's army.

He spoke only English, had a local girlfriend and had not been to his native country since he was eight years old. He did not want to go. But South Korea made him an offer he could not refuse: come or the remaining members of your family lose everything they own.

South Korea requires all of its able-bodied, young male citizens over 18 to serve in the military - whether they live in the country or not. And in 1989, Jimmy Park (his name has been changed to protect his identity) was still a South Korean citizen.

Before Park, now a Cal State Long Beach senior, agreed to return, South Korean officials were already playing hardball.

"They were getting ready to take away my dad's business visa, which would have stopped him from conducting business in South Korea," Park said. "They were also in the process of freezing his assets."

Park admitted that in addition to the coercive tactics being used by South Korea, he was getting pressure from his dad to go.

"I guess I was at a rebellious age," Park admitted. "My dad figured that if I went, it would straighten me out."

The beginning of his almost three-year stint was miserable. "The first six months were hard," Park said. "I missed America, no one wanted to be my friend."

He said everyone looked at him like he tried to get away with something (not serving in the military) and got caught.

"They figured they'd get even," Park said. "Everyone would do a move but I'd be standing there doing the wrong thing, Ôcause I didn't understand the command."

After awhile, Park caught on.

"I started basically as an illiterate, but by the time I left, I could speak, read and write the language," Park said. "And it does make a man out of you."Park said his dad served in Vietnam and believes, like his fellow countrymen, that a man is not a man until he completes his military duty.

"Smoking and drinking is okay after serving in the military, not before," Park said.

One reason much of the male population takes pride in serving its county comes from how zealous its military is.

"It's much tougher there than here," Park, who is currently in the ROTC program on campus. "Expectations are much higher in South Korea."

He credits enemy North Korea as the main motivation for South Korea's toughness.

"If North Korea were to launch a missile, it would take two and one half minutes to hit Seoul (South Korea's capitol)."

He described North Korea's 3-million strong standing army as fearsome.

"North Korea is [for having] one of the best, fiercest, most well-trained, toughest military in the world," he said. "Plus they're crazy. They do things that you'd swear are humanly impossible."

He recalled standing at the 38th parallel, looking down and seeing North Korean soldiers.

"My hair just stood on end."

He said the ultimate test for a North Korean soldier aspiring to join special forces, similar to American Green Berets, is to sneak across South Korean lines and bring back proof of his gamble.

"One North Korean guy slit three guys' throats and brought back their equipment and patches."

In 1986, a tunnel, built by North Korean soldiers, was discovered under the demilitarized zone between South and North Korea. The tunnel was five miles long and 75 feet wide. "That tunnel could have transported thousands of men," Park said.

While in the North Korean reserves, men must serve, until they are 35, 189 days per year. The United States requires 40 to 50 days, Park said.

With reports that North Korea is on the verge of running out of food, Parks said South Korea is probably on alert and he is glad he is glad he is not there now.

"All they (North Korean soldiers) are is a fighting machine," Park said. "If they are going down because of hunger, their attitude is going to be Ôwhat have we got to lose, we're going to die anyway.'"

Park became a naturalized American citizen while serving in South Korea. Unknown to Park, his service in another country's military jeopardized his citizenship in the U.S.

"One can void his U.S. citizenship by serving in another country's military or government," said Dr. John Tsuchida, professor of Asian American studies. "That act is presumed to be a sign of intent to renounce U.S. citizenship."

Tsuchida said the CSULB student probably had nothing to worry about. "It's usually only a problem during very nationalistic times," he said. "Right now things are okay and South Korea is a friend."

During World War II when the Unites States was at war with Japan, many American-born citizens of Japanese descent were studying in Japan, Tsuchida said. Those students were drafted against their will to serve in the Japanese military against the United States, he said. "Even though they were forced to serve in the military, some lost their citizenship."

He said it is extreme when governments, such as South Korea, use intimidation to compel its out-of-the-country citizens to come back and serve, "but in a war situation, the United States would do the same thing," Tsuchida said.

Elizabeth Vuna, director of constituent services at U.S. Rep. Stephen Horn's office concurred with Tsuchida regarding the risk a naturalized citizen takes when serving in a foreign military. "If the department of state was alerted, it could potentially revoke citizenship Ñ especially in conflict."

When Park was told of the gamble he had taken, he said he was surprised. "I didn't know any of that when I left," he said. "I grew up here, I wouldn't have gone. It's very important for me to hold on to my citizenship."