SEOUL,
Korea—According to a recent Gallup poll, an increasing number of Koreans now
favor their government offering alternative service to those who
conscientiously object to military conscription. From November 4-7, 2013,
a total of 1,211 Korean men and women participated in the survey, which
revealed that 68% preferred adopting alternative service over imprisoning
conscientious objectors. These findings represent a substantial shift in public
opinion, since a similar survey conducted in 2008 reported that only 29%
favored alternative service.
It appears that some in the
Korean legal community would also prefer to have an option other than
imprisonment for cases involving conscientious objection. In his editorial,
“Dilemma Surrounding Conscientious Objection to Military Service,” Han In-seop,
a professor at the Seoul National University, School of Law, stated: “There is
hardly a judge that would categorize these objectors with committing an ethical
or social offense. A detention order is not even issued to conscientious
objectors as there is no worry that they will flee. With each guilty verdict
that is decided, the judges are left feeling uneasy and apologetic.”
This human rights issue was
recently highlighted in an independent film produced by the National Human
Rights Commission of Korea. The film included a segment entitled “Ice River,”
which portrayed one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to enter military
service. The film’s director stated that he decided to make the film after
learning that hundreds of Witnesses are sent to prison for conscientious
objection every year. According to a report by the United Nations Human Rights
Council published in June 2013, 93% of Witnesses imprisoned around the
world for conscientiously objecting to military service are held in South
Korea.
Media Contact(s):
International: J. R. Brown, Office of Public Information, tel.
+1 718 560 5000
Republic of Korea: Dae-il Hong, tel. +82 31 690 0055
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