In this open letter, Amnesty International welcomes the recent decisions by the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), confirming the right to conscientious objection. The organization acknowledges this important milestone, and the tireless efforts by activists and conscientious objectors who paved the way for this change. As the Government prepares to introduce an alternative to compulsory military service for conscientious objectors, Amnesty International takes the opportunity to urge that the system for such service is in line with South Korea’s international human rights obligations.
