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South Korean Men Will Soon be Able to Choose an Alternative to Mandatory Military Service
Time Magazine ^ | June 29, 2018 | Casey Quackenbush

Posted on 06/29/2018 4:49:03 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

South Korea, one of the few nations that conscripts all able-bodied men into military service, will now allow conscientious objectors to substitute the required two years with community service.

South Korea’s constitutional court ruled Thursday that men who refused to serve needed an alternative, Reuters reports. But it also ruled that objecting to serve violated the constitution.

Up until now, those who refused the mandatory military service for men between the ages of 18 and 28 faced up to three years in jail and risked social stigma.

The system has recently made international headlines as soccer fans called for South Korea’s star World Cup player, Son Heung-min, to get an exemption. The defense ministry previously said that Son must complete the compulsory two years. Online petitions have been circulating online urging President Moon Jae-in to exempt him as well as goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo, Agence France-Presse reports.

The ruling Thursday did not clarify how South Koreans would be judged for being eligible, or what exactly the alternative services would be. According to the New York Times, possible alternatives could be working in homeless shelters, hospitals, prisons or as firefighters or police officers....

(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: korea

1 posted on 06/29/2018 4:49:03 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Will making K-Pop videos qualify as community service? ;-P


2 posted on 06/29/2018 4:50:37 PM PDT by rfp1234 (I have already previewed this composition.)
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To: rfp1234

Nope. Psy had to do his two years.


3 posted on 06/29/2018 4:51:28 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Given the military precariousness of their society, I don’t think they should have a choice but to serve.


4 posted on 06/29/2018 4:54:42 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

From Wikipedia, about North Korea:

“Conscription occurs in North Korea despite ambiguity concerning its legal status.[79] Men are universally conscripted while females undergo selective conscription. Conscription takes place at age 17 and service ends at 30.”


5 posted on 06/29/2018 5:26:36 PM PDT by cba123 ( Toi la nguoi My. Toi bay gio o Viet Nam.)
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To: onedoug

Needing to force people to fight says something about that society and how much it is valued. For example, nobody has to force a mom to fight of someone attacks their kid.


6 posted on 06/29/2018 5:30:49 PM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Yep, all the male KDrama stars have to do their service.

Shameless plug, if you’re into KDramas I highly recommend “Descendants of the Sun”.


7 posted on 06/29/2018 5:32:14 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: DesertRhino

I am not going to figt to save socialist libtards working to destroy my country from within. I wil probably be fighting directly against them in the near future.

I will fight local and protect my friends and immediate community.


8 posted on 06/29/2018 6:16:39 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: DesertRhino

Compulsory military service is something that (for better or worse) gives Korean society cohesiveness.

Many Korean corporations are formed with a quasi-military command structure. Everyone understands following orders from your superiors. Like I say that could be good or bad if your superior is an idiot, but that is how it works.


9 posted on 06/29/2018 6:28:43 PM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

When the North & South ‘Marry’, as an alternate to Military duty one can take in Norks at no cost to the Govt.

Say if you want to ‘buy out’ of 6 yrs, ‘adopt 6 Norks.

And the ‘Nork’ is YOURS till you get him on his own..

Kinda like the Russkies ‘built’ the Gulags...

Drop off a trainload of bodies at the end of the line with enough supplies to build a village/city and track etc to run the RR as far away as possible so the next load in 6 months could be dropped off to continue the process, remembering the train only discharges passengers at the end of the line so it behooves them to lay as much track as possible.


10 posted on 06/29/2018 6:29:53 PM PDT by xrmusn ((6/98)""If bacon kills you and smoking kills you, How come you smoke bacon to cure it?")
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To: dfwgator

Shameless plug, if you’re into KDramas I highly recommend “Descendants of the Sun”.


Roger that, Big Boss.


11 posted on 06/29/2018 6:30:13 PM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

They can only really consider this because North Korea seems to be cooling off.


12 posted on 06/29/2018 6:44:03 PM PDT by tbw2
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To: tbw2

It’s still somewhat early to start saying that.

I would have agreed. I might still. But there is a story out there with (some) legs, that NK is further developing their nukes.

Might be old news spun by some segment of somewhere, trying to talk down Trump’s achievements, which have been truly remarkable.

But NK is talking with China. China is not on our side.

It could be that NK is not ready to climb down. Could be this has all been a very elaborate ruse.

Could be legit. This story could be bogus.

Or it could be, we and everyone, still has work to do.


13 posted on 06/29/2018 7:35:10 PM PDT by cba123 ( Toi la nguoi My. Toi bay gio o Viet Nam.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Israel has had this policy for years, perhaps since its formation except Israel believes in Equal Rights, so women also have to serve. Austria also requires all men serve, and, as a reserve for life.


14 posted on 06/29/2018 8:38:19 PM PDT by Rembrandt (-)
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To: dfwgator

Actually, anything from writer Kim Eun-Sook.

She wrote “Descendants of the Sun” and “Goblin”, which are both exceptional.

Her new one is “Mr. Sunshine” and is coming out soon.


15 posted on 06/30/2018 6:41:16 AM PDT by Tai_Chung
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