Court Upholds South Korea Conscientious Objection to Military

In a landmark verdict, South Korea’s top court Thursday ruled that people can legally reject mandatory military service on conscientious or religious grounds and must not be punished. The Supreme Court ruling is expected to affect the cases of more than 900 conscientious objectors on trial, as hundreds of South Koreans, mostly Jehovah’s Witnesses, are imprisoned every year for refusing to serve in the military. All able-bodied South Korean men must serve about two years in the military...

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