Study finds nearly 70 percent of Koreans oppose conscientious objection

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- A government study has found that nearly seven out of
every 10 South Koreans oppose allowing alternative service for those who refuse
to serve in the armed services based on their religious beliefs, the defense
ministry said Wednesday.
The ministry said the outcome of the study does not automatically conclude its
deliberation on whether to provide alternative service for the so-called
"conscientious objectors," but noted it will have some effect on its final
decision.
"The government will continue to carefully review the issue based on the result
of the survey," a ministry official said, asking not to be identified.
The study was commissioned in August by the Military Manpower Administration
after months of internal debate following a 2005 recommendation by the National
Human Rights Commission that the government look into allowing these objectors to
serve instead in non-military programs.
The recommendation came as hundreds of youths were going to prison every year for
refusing the draft.
Every eligible South Korean man over the age of 18 years old must serve a
mandatory 24-month period in an armed service or other public sectors, such as
police stations or post offices. Over 500 conscripts were jailed last year alone
for refusing to serve, according to the defense ministry.
Of the people surveyed, 68.1 percent said they were against allowing alternative
services for conscientious objectors while 28.9 percent responded it would better
to have them work in any form than putting them in jail.
Over 43 percent of those who opposed alternative service answered they were
against it because there should not be any exceptions to the military service,
while some 22 percent said the move could seriously undermine the morale of those
already serving in armed forces.
About 5 percent of the total 2,000 surveyed said it was too soon to start making
exceptions for those refusing to serve in the military when the country continues
to face aggression from North Korea.
South and North Korea have been divided since the end of 1950-53 Korean War,
which ended only with a ceasefire, thus technically leaving the two Koreas at war
up to the present date.
Seoul currently maintains some 650,000 troops, along with about 28,500 U.S.
soldiers stationed here, in defense against possible aggression from the
communist North's 1.1-million strong military.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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