First Draft Notice for Conscientious Objectors... 36 Months of Service

Conscientious objector Siwoo is holding an urgent press conference with representatives of civic groups on the 5th in front of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, opposing the proposal for punitive alternative military service for conscientious objectors. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The alternative service system for conscientious objectors who refuse military service based on religious beliefs or non-violence and pacifism will be implemented for the first time on the 26th.

According to the Military Manpower Administration, 63 conscientious objectors will be first assembled at 1 p.m. on the day at the Alternative Service Training Center inside Daejeon Prison and will receive three weeks of training. They will not undergo the military training that active duty soldiers or supplementary service personnel receive before enlistment, and after completing the training, they are expected to be assigned to Daejeon Prison and Mokpo Prison respectively.

The conscientious objectors will serve in a dormitory for 36 months and perform auxiliary duties such as meal service, supplies, health and hygiene, and facility management at correctional facilities. Considering that active duty soldiers serve for 18 months according to Army standards, the service period is twice as long. Treatment such as salary and leave will be applied at the same level as active duty soldiers. However, if they leave service for more than 8 days without justifiable reason, their alternative service enrollment will be canceled and they will face criminal punishment.

The implementation of this alternative service system comes 2 years and 4 months after the Constitutional Court's ruling in June 2018 that Article 5 of the Military Service Act was unconstitutional. At that time, the Constitutional Court decided that while the provision punishing conscientious objectors did not violate the Constitution, the Military Service Act should be amended to include alternative service as a type of military service. Since then, the amendment to the Military Service Act and the "Act on Enrollment and Service of Alternative Service Personnel" (Alternative Service Act) passed the National Assembly at the end of last year. Subsequently, the Alternative Service Review Committee was formed this year, and follow-up measures such as enrollment criteria were completed, leading to the implementation on this day.