'Fake' conscientious objector given prison term
By Lee Hyo-jin A local court convicted a man in his 20s, who had claimed to be a conscientious objector, for violating the Military Services Act, Wednesday, after he was found to have often played online war games and to have never expressed political or philosophical views against the nation's mandatory military service.A judge at the Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced him to 18 months in prison for refusing to enlist in the army because of his “strong beliefs.”The man received an enlistment notice in October 2018, and was ordered to enter a military camp in Yanggu, Gangwon Province, the following month; but he failed to show up.The defendant claimed he had refused to join the armed forces because he objects to violence and war. However, the court did not accept this excuse. “The defendant had already postponed his mandatory military service several times in the past without expressing any personal belief or faith. The reasons were studying for the college entrance exam, college education and state examination,” Judge Cho Guk-in said in his ruling. &ldquo
