JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WILL NOW BE EXEMPT FROM MILITARY SERVICE ACT IN SOUTH KOREA

[Guest Nicole]

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ALLOWS JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TO AVOID MILITARY SERVICE

A momentous change has occurred in South Korea. The South Korean Constitutional Court has ruled that a section of the Military Service Act is unconstitutional. The law is one of the oldest laws of the modern Korean government, existing for 65 years. The policy jailed any Korean man who refused conscription for military service as a consciousness objector. As WRN reported, this has imprisoned thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses for decades. The Constitutional Court ruled the section about consciousness objectors was unconstitutional because it did not provide an alternative way to fulfill civic service. Judges will now have to offer alternative options in future cases. Koreans already jailed under the Military Service Act will be released. RESOURCES

Read more at World Religion News: "Jehovah’s Witnesses Will Now Be Exempt from Military Service Act in South Korea" https://www.worldreligionnews.com/?p=54185

[Queen Esther]

BREAKING NEWS |

Historic Korean Constitutional Court Decision: Absence of Alternative Service Declared Unconstitutional

On June 28, 2018, for the first time in South Korea’s history, the Constitutional Court declared a section of Korea’s Military Service Act (MSA) unconstitutional, as it does not provide alternative service for conscientious objectors. The landmark ruling is the key to reversing a 65-year-old policy of imprisoning conscientious objectors under the MSA.

Since 1953, over 19,300 of our brothers have been sentenced to a combined total of more than 36,700 years in prison. The Constitutional Court’s decision now opens the door for the Supreme Court of Korea to apply this ruling to specific cases involving conscientious objectors. In addition, Korean lawmakers are now obligated to institute alternative service for conscientious objectors by December 31, 2019.

We all rejoice with our brothers in Korea that the foundation has been laid to end decades of injustice.—Proverbs 15:30.

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