SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — The government has allowed 1,419 conscientious objectors to perform other public services instead of their mandatory military service since the launch of the alternative service program last year, the military manpower agency said Friday. As of June, 2,173 people had applied for the alternative service, and among 1,423 applicants [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — A total of 984 people have been approved to substitute their mandatory military service for other public service due to their religious and other personal beliefs since a related act took office in 2019, the military manpower agency said Friday. By law, all able-bodied South Korean men must carry [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — A conscientious objector, now carrying out his alternative military service as a prison staff member under the current law after refusing to enlist for religious reasons, has filed a constitutional appeal contending that the alternative military service law is unconstitutional due to its punitive nature, judicial officials said Wednesday. [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it will begin a program that allows replacing mandatory military service for other public services due to religious or personal beliefs. Under the program, 64 “conscientious objectors” will begin their 36 months of alternative service Monday at three correctional facilities, including one in [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — A Jehovah’s Witness who objected military service based on his religious faith has been convicted for violation of the Military Service Act. The grounds for the guilty verdict was that he previously enjoyed playing online shooting games, killing other gamers without feeling any pangs of conscience. For the man [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean men who refuse to fulfill their mandatory military service due to religious or personal beliefs will be allowed to serve three years of alternative duty at local correctional facilities starting next year, the defense ministry said Monday. By law, all able-bodied South Korean men must carry out [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — A UN investigator on freedom of speech and expression on Wednesday highlighted the need for an alternative military service that is not punitive but can be beneficial to both objectors and Korean society. Speaking at a public session on alternative service for conscientious objectors at the National Assembly, David [...]
SEOUL, May 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last year that religious and conscientious beliefs are to be considered valid reasons for refusing the military service mandate, an increasing number of courts across South Korea have been accepting conscientious objectors. However, there continue to be a number of cases where objectors [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean Supreme Court ruled last November that a person can conscientiously object to military service if it is indeed based on true conscience. Now, conscientious objectors can be exempted from punishment for not serving in the military as long as they have ‘justifiable grounds’. However, controversy still [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — According to legal circle insiders, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office issued 10 guidelines to prosecutor’s offices nationwide on December 3 of last year to determine whether the claims of conscientious objectors are true. Conscientious objectors are individuals who refuse to serve in the military for religious reasons. Thus, the objectors [...]