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SKR12013-100402
10 April 2002
SOUTH KOREA: Conscientious objector sentenced to three years in prison
War Resisters' International was informed today that already on 29 March Young-chul Yoon, a 22-year-old Seventh-day Adventist, was sentenced to three years in prison by a South Korean Military court for refusing to bear arms in his military service training. Young-chul Yoon was called up for mandatory military instruction two years into his theology training at Sahmyook University, an Adventist school in Seoul. According to a report to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, presented by MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society, and Korea Solidarity for Conscientious Objection, there were 1,640 conscientious objectors in prison in December 2001. It is estimated that about 600 conscientious objectors chose to go to prison instead of bearing arms every year - and usually get sentenced to three years (the report is available from WRI on request).
War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to the South Korean authorities. Send letters to:
- Ministry of Defence
Fax: +82-2-748 6895
email: webmaster@mnd.go.kr
War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of Young-chul Yoon, and all imprisoned conscientious objectors.
Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International