Hankyoreh reports:
The question of conscientious objection – that is, refusing to enroll in the military or bear arms because of religious beliefs – will be reviewed by the full bench of South Korea’s Supreme Court for the first time in 14 years. Public arguments on the matter will also be held at the end of August. This appears to reflect a growing push for the creation of an alternative to mandatory military service, with an increasing number of district courts acquitting conscientious objectors. Amid progress in peace talks on the Korean Peninsula, attention is turning to whether there will be a change in judicial rulings that have stressed the national security situation.
The law works in mysterious ways. The current reshuffling of political and other relationships in the region may make this a propitious time for South Korean authorities to take a fresh look at the issue.
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