Lawyer gets jail term for refusing military service on religious ground

SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- A lawyer and follower of Jehovah's Witnesses received a jail term Thursday on charges of refusing to serve in the military for his religious conviction, rekindling a years-long debate over conscientious objectors in the country. Baek Jong-gun was indicted for refusing to carry arms after being enlisted in the Army in February. South Korea's conscription law requires all able-bodied men to serve about two years of mandatory service or face up to three years in jail. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Baek to one and a half years in prison, saying, "If national security is not guaranteed by his refusal to serve his military duty, the human rights and safety of the people cannot be guaranteed." The court went on to say, "The value of conscience has no more importance than the constitutional value, and it's not unjust to limit part of it." Baek said he will appeal the court's decision. He said he will also file a petition before the Constitutional Court, asking the court to review the law and claiming that it infringes upon his freedom of conscience and religion. The top court ruled in favor of the law in 2004, saying that the punishment did not severely violate the constitutional freedom of religion and conscience given that South Korea is technically in state of war with North Korea. Meanwhile, a Seoul court also convicted a 25-year-old activist of violating the conscription law, sentencing him to an 18-month jail term. Kang Ui-seok has been prosecuted for refusing to serve in the military, claiming to be a conscientious objector. He staged a one-man protest against a missionary school a few years ago when he was a high school student, citing freedom of religion in education. All able-bodied South Korean men have been subject to some two years of armed service since the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a truce rather than a full peace pact. About 660,000 South Korean soldiers face the communist North Korea's 1.1-million army across a heavily fortified border.