South Koreans may no longer face jail if they refuse to serve in the military

South Korea jails more conscientious objectors than any other country, but that may be about to change. All South Korean men aged 18 to 35 must perform military service, but the country's Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that the government must provide alternative civilian roles for those who refuse to take up arms, due to religious or political reasons.


"The state can no longer delay resolving this problem," the court said in a 6-3 ruling finding that Article 5 of the country's Military Service Act was unconstitutional because it does not offer any non-military options. It gave the government and Parliament until the end of 2019 to revise the law.

South Korea jails more conscientious objectors than the rest of the world put together, according to Amnesty International, with hundreds imprisoned every year, many of them Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse to serve due to their religious beliefs. More than 230 conscientious objectors are currently in prison, the group said. Most receive sentences of around 18 months, but can face a lifetime of discrimination once they are released.

In a statement after the ruling, Amnesty researcher Hiroka Shoji said it sends a "clear message that conscientious objection to military service is a human right."