0
Danish Princess Isabella begins her first day with the Guard Hussar Regiment at the Antvorskov Barracks parade ground in Slagelse, Denmark on the 3rd (local time). Princess Isabella will undergo Denmark's new military service system, consisting of five months of basic military training followed by six months of active service. / EPA-Yonhap

Denmark launched its new conscription system in earnest on the 3rd (local time), as it seeks to respond to security threats from Russia and rising tensions in the Arctic, Reuters reported.

About 1,600 new recruits reported to 14 service locations across the country that day, beginning 11 months of military service.

The Danish government had previously announced reform measures — part of a broader push to strengthen national defense accelerated by Arctic security pressures and the war in Ukraine — including extending mandatory service from the previous four months to 11 months starting in 2024, expanding mandatory service to include women, and increasing the annual number of conscripts from the current 5,000 to 7,500 by 2033.

Under the new conscription system, recruits complete five months of basic military training before being assigned to six months of active service. Military authorities have also introduced new specialized service areas, including a newly established drone platoon within Special Operations Command.

This latest intake of recruits coincides with Danish military authorities' plan to deploy conscripts to Greenland later this month. This will mark the first time conscripts have been stationed in Greenland, with a company of about 100 troops set to remain there for a month, taking over operational duties from regular forces.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his intention to annex Greenland, a Danish territory, citing national security. Greenland's autonomous government and the Danish government have rejected Trump's annexation ambitions, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirming at last month's NATO summit in Ankara her commitment to defending all allied territory, including her own country's.

Among the recruits who began service that day was Princess Isabella (19), second in line to the Danish throne. Starting that day, she will serve 11 months with the Guard Hussar Regiment. Conscripts receive pay and allowances during their service, but the princess has chosen not to accept hers, according to local outlet B.T.

                                                                                                           Lee Jeong-eun