Inter­na­tio­nal Support of Conscien­tious Objec­tors and Deserters

South Korea: More than 8,000 signatures presented for the human right of conscientious objection

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(01.12.2015) In a joint action War Resisters’ International, Connection e.V. (Germany), Amnesty International Korea and World Without War (South Korea) today presented more than 8,000 signatures from 108 countries, including members of parliaments from Germany, European Union and South Korea, to the ministry of defense in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The organizations demand the recognition of conscientious objection and the immediate and unconditional release of conscientious objectors in prison.

Sentenced to Life

Conscientious Objectors in South Korea - Dossier of Amnesty International

(13.05.2015) Every year South Koreans are sent to prison for exercising their freedom of thought, conscience or religion or belief. Over 613 conscientious objectors to military service – that is, men who have refused conscription for reasons of conscience – are currently in prison in the Republic of Korea (South Korea). This briefing paper on conscientious objectors in South Korea includes information gathered in South Korea in October 2014 and January 2015 when Amnesty International interviewed ten conscientious objectors, their families, lawyers, scholar, religious organizations and civil society organizations working with conscientious objectors.

South Korea: The Power of International Solidarity

(29.08.2014) It was the result of solidarity efforts between activists at home and abroad that the conscientious objection movement in this ultra-militaristic South Korean society began. In 2000 Karin Lee and John Feffer, who were staff members at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) office in Tokyo and who had been working with many South Korean civic groups, recognised that movements against the Korean military, militarism, conscription system, and other related institutions in Korea were not very active. In July of the same year, Taiwan introduced an alternative military service system. When Karin and John heard this news, they thought that it might be time for South Korea to begin discussing these topics more openly and widely as the circumstances in both Taiwan and South Korea were quite similar with respect to military confrontation, economic growth, and geographical location.