Conscientious Objectors

[Anchor Lead]

Not so long ago, South Korea's Supreme Court found "not guilty" of the so-called conscientious objectors, who refuse to serve in the military on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience or religion. Recently, a lower court has also ruled in favor of a conscientious objector. Here's the story.

[Pkg]

The Jeonju District Court ruled on November 16 that a 21-year-old man was not guilty for refusing to perform his military service. The man, who resides in Jeollabuk-do Province, was indicted for not showing up at a boot camp three days after being conscripted to the army early this year. The man refused his military service for religious reasons. An investigation has revealed that as a Jehovah's Witness, the accused was brought up by his Christian parents and was a member of a church. He was baptized in 2011. The judges ruled that the accused refused military service on genuine religious grounds, because he was determined to protect his beliefs even in the face of criminal punishment. The court said that his refusal was in line with Article 88 of the Military Service Act. The ruling is the first of its kind to be issued by a lower court since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of another conscientious objector early this month. More than 900 cases involving conscientious objectors are pending at courts nationwide. Their outcomes will likely be influenced by the Supreme Court's decision as well.