Military service is obligatory for all Korean men. Men subject to draft are classified into 1 to 6 grade according to their physical fitness and family reasons; 1 to 3 for active duty, and 4 to 6 for serving at social welfare facilities or exempted from the duty. Among Korean men, there’s a hierarchy of pride based on military service and often those who served at welfare facilities with the grade between 4 and 6 are object of humiliation, mainly by those who were in active duty.

'Sangguen' is a special case in Korean military service system. They were supposed to serve as an active duty soldier. However, as technology advances, thus demand for active duty decreases, some men who are graded as 1, 2, or 3, does not have to be in active duty so they work at social welfare facilities, just as those with grade 4, 5, or 6 do. Usually, they are assigned to the facilities near their home so that they can commute.

Sangguen (full-time reserve) therefore is under somewhat special status because they are derided by active duty soldiers, and feel shameful for being ‘Sangguen’ (did not serve as active duty) while feel proud of themselves being qualified as same as active duty soldiers (graded as 1, 2, or 3). With this kind of attitude (of Sangguen), I organized ‘Veterans Association of Sangguen (VAS)’ and became the first president of the association as an alter-ego. The organizational form emulated RoK Marine Corps Veterans’ Association because they are one of the most cohesive, active, thus popular veterans’ community with the fact that the Marine Corps requires high level of physical and mental strength.

Some characteristics of the Marine Corps Veterans’ Association (MCVA) includes: photo of a president full of patriotic fervor, in homage to former president Park who dictated the country for several years and is mostly supported by military groups; patriotic rhetoric used in its website or on military uniform; mascot of VAS that depicts a wolf as a symbol of bravery and courage, and a lunch box as a symbol often used for humiliating those who serve as Sangguen; constant news update on current president Park whose father is the former president Park, mentioned earlier. VAS presents parody of these characteristics with sarcasm and satire.

VAS project is on-going that I, as a president of VAS, will continue to recruit people who served as Sangguen and participate in social activities just like MCVA does.

상근예비역 전우회 프로젝트는 작가 본인이 상근예비역(구 방위병)출신인 탓에 술자리에서 매번 놀림의 대상이 되던 중 떠올린 ‘왜 해병대 전우회는 있는데 상근예비역 전우회는 없을까?’ 에 대한 질문에서부터 시작되었다. 

상근예비역 병장 출신인 작가 본인이 일종의 alter–ego로써 상근예비역 전우회의 초대 사령관이 되어 해병대 전우회를 본따 실제 상근예비역 전우회를 조직하고 상근예비역의 특성에 맞추어 마스코트와 로고 등을 만든 후 온라인(홈페이지, 페이스북 페이지 등), 오프라인 홍보를 통하여 전우회원들을 모집한다. 홈페이지와 관련 SNS 사이트에서는 상근예비역 사령관의 동정과 군 통수권자인 대통령의 국방관련 뉴스를 실시간으로 업데이트 한다.

전우회 설립 이후에도 상근예비역 전우회는 국경일 혹은 군 행사 참여, 봉사활동 등의 단합대회, 연설 영상 제작 및 유포, 인터넷 방송 등의 방법으로 단결력을 다지며 집단력을 늘려가는 방식으로 지속 될 계획이다.