Conscientious Objectors Can Avoid ROK Army
I think there is going to be a surge in recruiting for the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Korea:
Conscientious objectors for religious reasons will be permitted to perform an alternative service starting 2009 at the earliest. They will serve at social welfare centers. But the Ministry of Defense said it will require conscientious objectors to serve for 36 months, double the time for conscripts, to “ensure fairness.” The decision has sparked heated debate. The Korea Veterans’ Association denounced it saying it will “further encourage many young men to evade active-duty military service." [Chosun Ilbo]
hahaha remember they also are cutting the time of service to 18 months and troop levels in some areas
so this addition has LIBERAL all over it
this gov't will go to extreme measures to try to cripple SK national defense
I’m not a fan of conscription because if citizens are not willing to volunteer to protect their nation than the nation must not be one that is worth fighting for. I think the ROK Army should strive to go all volunteer however that would mean a huge increase in defense spending to pay the soldiers real wages instead of the slave wages they are currently paid. That is why the ROK government will not end conscription.
All the money they send every year to Kim Jong-il could probably pay the bill needed to pay the military reasonable wages. This new rule obviously isn’t intended to move to a professional military but instead weaken the conscripted military currently in place and appease the liberal base before the election.
Most nations long ago made provisions similar to what SK is now adopting. They haven't disintegrated.
Tom, I would like a LIST of those Nations. Since you said “most” it should be a long one. I’m not a student of the world, so be my instructor. I know America, Russia, and China are not on it. Japan doesn’t count because we take care of their defence. Germany? England? Canada or Mexico or Honduras? Maby the Philippines? Thailand or Vietnam maby. Iraq, Iran, israel, Australia? I just don’t know. I never thought to look into something like this.
However I now see a NEED for USFK, as SK will soon not have a military to speak of. They will have an abundance of (so called Christians) to send out and convert those Muslims. Yea, I can see it now. SK will go broke paying ransom, if they let them out of the country again. Then they will REALLY hate America. After all, it will be our fault.
How do you say, (your fault) in Hangook. I forgot.
These countries do not have compulsory military service, so the issue of your post never comes up: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, India, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, Britain, USA
One hundred countries do have compulsory military service, and of these only thirty make allowance for conscientious objectors, so it appears I owe you an apology, or at least a partial one. The ones that do make allowance are mostly in the West, which is where I am. I didn't realize there were so many that did not.
Check these sources for info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientious_object… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service
Still, the trend is toward allowing C.O. The U.N. pushes it as a basic human right.
The only group I am truly familiar with is Jehovah's Witnesses. If a religion is active only in your country or takes a different stand in other countries, I can understand why someone concerned with national defense might be upset. But JWs are politically neutral in every country, not just SK. Thus, in the event SK goes to war with some other nation, the JWs of that nation will not be among the combatants. So why should the JWs of SK be required to be combatants when they are not on the other side?
At any rate, their religious conviction is genuine, and they inconvenience themselves considerably so as to stay separate from the warfare of any nation. Whether required to participate in the military or not, they don’t. In any country, not just SK. How can that stand harm the overall world security picture?
[…] beliefs particularly Jehovah’s Witnesses (Man, I remember those days very, very well): (h/t: ROK Drop) More than 3,760 men, mostly Jehovah’s Witnesses, have refused to perform military service in […]