21 Conscientious Objectors Apply Within Two Days of Military Service Exemption

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[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu]Within two days of the start of the application process for alternative service enrollment based on freedom of conscience, such as religious beliefs, a total of 21 people have submitted applications.

According to the Military Manpower Administration on the 1st, from 9 a.m. on the 30th of last month until 4 p.m. on the same day, 21 applications for alternative service enrollment were received through the Alternative Service Review Committee's website. All 21 applications were submitted online, and in-person submissions at the Review Committee will be possible starting next month.

Applicants are reported to have submitted the alternative service enrollment application form, statements, statements from parents and acquaintances (at least three people), and copies of detailed school life records from elementary, middle, and high school online. After reviewing the documents, the Review Committee will begin fact-finding investigations such as interviews with acquaintances and examination of submitted documents like statements and school life records. Then, five review committee members will conduct a preliminary review, and 29 committee members will make the final decision to approve, reject, or dismiss the applications.

The Review Committee plans to establish specific evaluation criteria this month to assess the applicant's 'conscience.'

The evaluation criteria will be based on ▲ the substance of conscience (whether the substance of conscience exists), ▲ the sincerity of conscience (whether the conscience is truthful and genuine), and ▲ the binding force of conscience (whether the conscience governs the entirety of one's life). Additionally, precedents on conscientious objection and cases of alternative service systems in foreign countries are expected to be reflected in the evaluation criteria.

The review process will be fully implemented from the end of this month once these evaluation criteria are established.

Those enrolled in alternative service will be summoned as alternative service personnel starting in October. They will serve in correctional facilities for 36 months without military training, performing auxiliary duties such as meal service, health and hygiene, and facility management. Tasks such as prisoner transport or security, which may require carrying weapons, are excluded from the duties of alternative service personnel. The government is also considering expanding the workplaces of alternative service personnel, currently limited to correctional facilities, to social welfare facilities, fire stations, and other locations in the future.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.