Student soldiers in the Korean War

The soldiers were typically high school students. In its narrowest sense, it often refers only to students who were forced to join them during the Japanese occupation period and Korean War. Generally, students who were studying found themselves exempted from the draft but in emergency situations, students were drafted into the army and engaged in the battle.[2]

Students boarding a train to join the Republic of Korea Army.

The organization of 'The army of Student Soldiers for emergencies(비상학도대)' by 200 student officers of the "Association of the students who protect the country(학도호국단)" from all around seoul who gathered in Suwon was the first time student soldiers were conscripted .[3] Some of them were wearing rifles and ammunition with their uniforms as they were, and they entered the South Korean army unit, which was guarding the Han river from June 29, 1950, to participate in the battle.[4] However, the Ministry of National Defense has made most of the student soldiers responsible for the rear-end missions, including refugee relief, bulletin reports and street propaganda.[5] Many students were not satisfied with their mission in the rear, but they supported individual enlistment, and the rest asked students to authorize the Ministry of National Defense to form a battle unit with the school only. However, the Ministry of National Defense's high - ranking officials insisted on pursuing the guidance of the Ministry of Defense while retaining the participation of the academics who will bear the future of the nation. The evacuation academics who came to Daejeon on July 14 and the local academics organized themselves again.[6]

The students individually supported the local enlistment and served as soldiers of the Armed Forces. A number of female students were also appointed as nurses.[7] The student soldiers went down to Daegu and were once again organized into 10 divisions of the armed forces and their subordinate units.[8] The student soldiers made great achievements in the Nakdong River Defense Line, which was considered as the last fortress.[9] About 700 of them were transferred to UN troops in Busan in mid-July. After graduating, they went to Japan and went on a regular operation in Incheon Landing Operation on September 15.[10] In addition, the 22nd and 26th Regions of the Third Division of the Korea Army, and the 15th Regiment of the First Division of the Korea army filled the majority of the recruits with the student soldier from the middle of July.[11] At the beginning of August, the 25th generation newly formed army in Daegu also filled most of the troops with student soldier.

In early August, about 1,500 students from the army headquarters of the Army headquarters in Daegu soon joined the Korean Armed Forces in Milyang.[12] They penetrated the enemy's rear area and deployed guerrilla warfare. Among them, the 1st Battalion was put into landing operation in Yeongdeok District, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and 100 victims were killed.[13] The 2nd, 3rd and 5th battalions were put into Taebaek mountain range from early October and cleared the enemy who flew away.[14] After that, it was put into Honam district again from December, and the residue was swept away.[15] The school graduates also accomplished a great deal by carrying out pre-emptive activities for the residents in the vulnerable area south of the 38th and 38th in the restoration area, where frequent visits to spies were frequent.

As the army crossed the 38th parallel, the academics of the restoration area also supported the operation of the armed forces through various organizations themselves. They were grouped together with a 1.4 retreat and continued in the name of the school militia, and many of them enlisted as regular army troops, numbering about 4,000.[16] On the other hand, approximately 700 Korean-Japanese students from Japan were also raised to rescue their homeland. They joined the United Nations forces and participated in the battle, with 59 killed and 95 missing

In March 1951, when the ROK forces and UN troops restrained the tactics of the Chinese army and restored the balance and stability of the front lines, the people who came down to find refugees also began to return to their hometowns to regain their jobs. President Lee Seung-man announced that the young students who will bear the future of the nation should return to the academy urgently to continue their studies. The Ministry of Education issued the following instructions to the students scattered across the country.[17]

Student Soldier monument in Incheon.

Since 1968, the Government of South Korea has awarded the students national merits.[25] In January 1967, 317 people who could prove they met the criteria were handed the award. In 1997, the government handed it out to a further 45 people who had failed to receive it before.

On June 16, 2010, the movie 71: Into the Fire was released, which depicted the defense of P'ohang girls' middle school by 71 student soldiers during the Korean War, mainly in August 1950.[26]