South Korea’s Supreme Court has ruled in favor of conscientious objection to military service.
In Thursday’s final ruling,... the top court overturned a previous decision to punish a Jehovah's Witness for dodging mandatory military service on religious grounds.
The Jehovah's Witness was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2013.
Under the current law,... all able-bodied South Korean men must serve for around two years.
Only diseases or natural disasters have been regarded as valid reasons for exemption,.... but the top court now also recognizes religious beliefs to be excusable.
The latest decision goes against previous top court decisions against conscientious objectors in 1969 and 2004.
In June,... the Constitutional Court ruled that the government must provide alternative services for conscientious objectors.