The Military Manpower Administration (MMA) made an unprecedented decision Wednesday, allowing a man in his 30s, accused of refusing to fulfill his mandatory military service over his beliefs in nonviolence and pacifism, to engage in alternative service. The decision is significant in that it is the first time the government has recognized the conscientious objection of military duty for nonreligious reasons and permitted the alternative option.
Freedom of conscience is a basic requirement for maintaining human dignity and the foundations of democracy. We believe that such freedom should be protected by all means and welcome this decision as it stresses the need to respect the voices of minorities as well as diversity. It is in line with the verdicts of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court in 2018, which recognized the conscientious objection of military service.
The man, identified by his surname Oh, refused to submit himself for military conscription in April 2018, due to his conviction of not wanting to hurt other people under any circumstances, which runs counter to the military service mission of focusing on the knowledge and skills of killing others effectively. Given this conviction, he wanted to take an alternative option other than joining the military.
The MMA also accepted a request by another man for the option of an alternative to the reserve forces training, after completing his military duty as a researcher. In Korea, able-bodied young males must serve in the military and do another eight years of reserve forces training after completing active duty.
Following the implementation of the law on alternative options in June last year, 2,052 people have applied for some other form of mandatory service, 944 applications of which were accepted, including 942 from a certain religious sect. The recent decision is meaningful as it shows that conscientious objection is also possible when based on diverse beliefs, without being restricted to a certain religious affiliation.
There have been concerns that more people will attempt to exploit the alternative option system as a way to avoid military duty. So, the MMA has taken measures to determine more appropriately real conscientious objectors. However, more attention and support is needed so that the alternative option system can take root, while respecting the views of minorities and individual convictions.
Despite this recent decision, there are some negative opinions about conscientious objectors. Many still believe in the importance of the military service to cope with the pressing need for tighter security in this divided nation, coupled with the need for the mandatory military service rule to apply fairly to everyone.
Yet, permitting conscientious objection is more precious than just doing a favor to those who are allowed the option of alternative service. It means acknowledging a minority opinion in our society and respecting the dignity and values of more people. We urge the government to more widely expand the scope of conscientious objection and offer more alternatives to military service, so that the objectors can make more diverse contributions to society.