TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The first group of conscripts for the one-year compulsory military service enlisted on Thursday (Jan. 25). The 670 young men will begin their eight-week enlistment training.
This extension of the mandatory military service, confirmed late last year by President Tsai Ing-wen, has presented many young couples with emotional challenges.
Many girlfriends accompanied their conscripted boyfriends to the Department of Compulsory Military Service's Alternative Service Center, offering encouragement. Some girlfriends also expressed hope that military service could help their boyfriends overcome bad habits and mature into more responsible men.
Conscripts who left for service expressed faith in their partners despite separations stretching for a year. "I believe in my girlfriend but can't help feeling worried as we won't be able to communicate all the time," one man said.
In response, various girlfriends comforted their worried boyfriends leaving for the military, saying, "Don't worry!"
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the decision to extend mandatory service to a year was due to changing international situations, the expansion of authoritarianism, defense combat needs, and the intensity of the four-month military training. The decision also reflects a comparative study of conscription systems in other countries.