SKorea Jails Hundreds for Refusing Military Stints

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

SKorea Jails Hundreds for Refusing Military Stints
SEOUL, South Korea January 17, 2014 (AP)
By EUN-YOUNG JEONG Associated Press

The young dentist was uncuffed and led to his seat in the courtroom. A few rows back, his mother watched motionlessly, her hands gently clasped together as if in prayer.

Jeon Seong-Jin is being punished for a crime that is not a crime at all in most of the world. A Jehovah's Witness, he has refused to become a soldier in South Korea, where all able-bodied male citizens are required to serve about 21 months in the army.

More than 660 conscientious objectors have been jailed each year in South Korea, on average, from 2004 to 2012, far more than any other country. Eritrea is second, but imprisoned only about 50 conscientious objectors last year, according to the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses. Members of the religion refuse military service because they believe the Bible forbids warfare.

Even where conscription still exists, governments often allow conscientious objectors to serve their countries without bearing arms, but not in South Korea. Jeon began his 18-month sentence in 2012 and expects to be released this March.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/skorea-jails-hundreds-refusing-military-stints-21568163

[timothywcrane]

1. Good for you Jeon...

18 months in jail for doing what I believe in or 21 months doing what would shame me for life? If I felt the same I would take the 18... As we always tell China... Why does the US not weigh in and support the freedom of conscience? Does it not have sway over its allies? That is tongue in cheek of course. I hope I don't bite it.

This is a shame for a country that is always so critical of its neighbors stance against faith freedoms.

I applaud you Jeon for standing firm.

[davidpdx]

3. You might actually look up a little more about it

This article is extremely vague and one-sided. The 21 months is training, not fighting. The issue is protection from North Korea in case of another invasion. Yes, it is unlikely but 50 million people depend upon the South Korean military if it ever happened.

Korea chooses to do mandatory military service, so it has nothing to do with the US. It has to do with the direct threat of North Korea which has attacked South Korea several times over the past few years.

I invite you over to go up to the DMZ to see just what it is like. Bill Clinton hit the nail on the head when he said it was "the scariest place on earth".

[JVS]

7. The issue for the guy in the article isn't just non-violence, it's non-allegiance to government.

They don't want to be involved. No voting, no service, no singing patriotic songs, no saluting the flag, etc.
They pay taxes and obey the law as long as it doesn't require them to contribute to the operation of governments.

[davidpdx]

13. Unfortunately that's not the way it works in South Korea

Which is why he's going to jail. The issue is the law and he is choosing to violate it. Part of that law is an alternative for those who are conscientious objectors (something I believe the article didn't describe well). So it isn't a choice of either go in the military or go to jail. He's being offered a viable 3rd option, but essentially saying "screw you, I'd rather be a martyr". That's why he's going to jail.

Working at a office during the day is not as hard as those being asked to sit up in a guard station on a fence in the DMZ during the winter eating beans out of a can (I have learned about what this is like first hand from talking to students who have served). Most men in Korea do their military service. In my experience, many of them grow up quite a bit after coming back from it (I say this as a university professor who has taught male Korean students both before and after their service). No, I don't envy them for having to do it. There are plenty of good reasons for it though.

My guess is he'll lose his legal battle and still end up in jail.

[rpannier]

16. They may pay taxes and the like, but it is mandatory for all fit males to serve

I've lived here over a decade and the mandatory military service is still supported by most people.
There is no C.O. status in the country.

[Ranchemp.]

26. I did a stint in S. Korea back in 1970, up close and personal

to the DMZ and I gotta tell you, it was fucking scary, it was a real life war situation without the actual shooting except for the Norks shooting off a few small arms rounds every now and then to let us know that they were still there.

[L0oniX]

21. +1 ...and welcome to DU

[davidpdx]

2. I don't necessarily agree with conscription, but I disagree with how he is trying to get out of it

As the article very vaguely mentions those who don't want to go into the army can do an alternative service if there is a legitimate reason like a religious one. For instance each area has a local office (dong) and then the larger area (made up of several local offices) have an area office (gu). Many times people doing alternative service are placed at the offices doing work there as a delivery driver or janitor, etc. The same is true of people who have a physical problem. One of my former students has a problem with his inner ear and was placed on an alternative service working at a local office.

This guy is choosing jail over the alternative service. He did clearly have a choice and his choice was jail.

Most people in Korea see the mandatory military service as a civic duty. The training is in the event South Korea is ever invaded by North Korea again.

[bowens43]

5. mandatory service is slavery.......

[weissmam]

12. options

IN SK there are option to do service in law enforcement, community service and other forms of service to his country other then uniformed military ,

[davidpdx]

14. There is and the article really didn't mention that it looks like a one-sided PR move

It's funny because these kinds of cases come up all the time, but they very rarely get any press in South Korea much less in the US. That makes me wonder who's behind pushing the news about his case.

[timothywcrane]

4. Is supporting service supporting military actions?

I can see your point, however many who object to military service for religious reasons do not see support of the military in an administrative or office capacity as any different than fighting due to it merely being a supporting role (same for training). I do, like I said see your point. It is kind of vague and I wonder if this is his view or not. I am not a co-religionist so I dare not jump the gun and assume.

[JVS]

8. Not really the issue. See above.

[Ash_F]

6. Iran does something similar

As does Israel, I believe.

Not a fan.

[joshcryer]

9. Israel does and it's equal opportunity, women and men are forced to join.

There's no real getting around it as far as I understand (maybe under religious or medical reasons obviously).

Not a fan of it but I say, hey, bring back the draft, forced conscription, it'd do wonders for stopping the US from being a warmonger state.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. The draft kept the US from war in the past ...

... or maybe not.



edit to add: or did I miss your sarcasm? I'm sorta dense at this hour.

[joshcryer]

11. Nah, I think Vietnam ruined conscription in the US.

After Nixon it basically is a bad idea. If you start forcing people to join now there would be a backlash I think.

I'm not saying I advocate it, I'm just saying, if it happened there might be a blowback and force the US to stop being such a warmonger state.

Could be wrong.

[valerief]

15. Nowadays, the US just sets up the job market so that the military is the only option

for some people. Conscription by default!

[L0oniX]

22. ^^^this^^^

[iandhr]

17. This is why Charlie Rangel favors a draft.

His theory is if everyone had a chance of facing combat we would be more careful about when we go to war.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

18. This is not unusual. My students in Korea couldn't wait to join the army and kick Kim Jong Il's ass

It was maddening how they were ready to die.

[Ranchemp.]

19. Hey, better than the alternative in North Korea,

where you'll either be shot or sent to a "re-education" camp, which has nothing to do with education.

[L0oniX]

23. ...like having the NSA is better then joining the terrorists?

[Ranchemp.]

24. Huh?

NSA has nothing to do with this thread.
And in N. Korea, you'll either be executed or sent to a labor camp for the same offense, do you deny that?

[Dash87]

20. Conscription is a barbaric form of slavery.

It's a blatant violation of human rights. It should be universally banned.

[jmowreader]

25. I wonder why they picked someone who would have been a noncombatant anyway

The "dentist" thing pops right out: according to the Geneva Conventions, medical personnel are noncombatants. As a dentist he would have been stationed on a military base, fixing soldiers' teeth. If the Korean People's Army would have rolled across the Han Estuary during his time in service, he would have been sent to a field hospital to repair jaws.

(On edit: the "they" I refer to is ABC News; the ROK government "picked" him because that's what they do.)

[Xyzse]

27. Mandatory military service is not just a South Korean practice

It is practiced in many different countries, particularly those in unstable areas.

South Korea is bordering North Korea which has an active military that threatens them daily.
Israel is surrounded by states that threaten their existence.

It is nice to be strong enough not to have to think about such things.

I support their decision to civil disobedience, and laud their taking on the consequences. However, I also can see where South Korea is coming from.

Also, consider that such a thing usually means training and not actual combat duty.
It is to be prepared if they are ever attacked.
I know even that is horrible to some, since it can be considered a means of brainwashing.

All I can say is, we as a country at the moment don't have to deal with what they do. There are many things in play to such things. There are countries that have legal conscription but don't actually do so.