Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

South Korea: To make the most of the opportunity for peace, the right to conscientious objection must be recognised!

(14.05.2018) Recognizing the right to conscientious objection to military service does not only involve guaranteeing objectors the freedom of conscience, thought, and religion. In addition, overcoming deep-rooted violence and militarism will be possible only when we acknowledge this right to object. In order for Korea to make the most of the precious opportunities of peace that have come in seventy years and to become a country of permanent peace, the right to conscientious objection must be recognized.

South Korea: Decision on objectors near, says Constitutional Court

(18.03.2018) The Constitutional Court is expected to rule by August on the legality of conscientious objection to military service. In 2004 and 2011, the court ruled against conscientious objectors, making national defense a priority over individual rights.

Three questions for South Korean MOON Myungjin

He was imprisoned after declaring his conscientious objection in 2010

(12.06.2017) All men in South Korea are obliged to serve in the military when they reach the age of 18. Since 1945, there are about 20.000 Koreans who became conscientious objectors. One of them is MOON Myungjin. In an interview, he explains why he refused to serve for the military and what consequences this decision had.

South Korea: Appeal court victory for conscientious objectors

Further COs in prison – Rule of Constitutional Court expected

(18.10.2016) The South Korean government must take heed of a major appeal court ruling and stop criminalizing conscientious objectors, said Amnesty International today.

Appeal court judges in Gwangju, south-west Korea, overturned the guilty verdicts of two conscientious objectors, Cho Rak-hoon and Kim Hyung-geun. It is the first time an appeal court has reversed guilty verdicts in a conscientious objectors case.