Our brothers in South Korea standing up for their beliefs

[Cool Cat]

Global Post:-

 

August 28, 2013 06:16

 

SUWON, South Korea (Reuters) - Sentencing a young man to 18 months in prison in July for refusing to do his mandatory military service, the judge in the South Korean city of Suwon burst into tears.

 

The judge had handed down verdicts that day in five other criminal cases without emotion, but the case of Im Chang-jo, a 21-year-old Jehovah's Witness, brought out her sympathies.

 

Jehovah's Witnesses, followers of a Christian denomination that claims about 8 million evangelical members worldwide, are well known for refusing military service and blood transfusions.

 

But Im, his brother, and hundreds like them have paid a heavy price for their beliefs in South Korea, a U.S. ally technically still at war with North Korea, its unpredictable relative with nuclear ambitions and one of the world's largest armies.

 

"It is a privilege for me to abide by my conscience and I hope my country allows Jehovah's Witnesses alternative service as soon as possible," Im said in court...............

 

Full Story:-

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/130828/jail-stigma-await-south-korean-men-who-refuse-military-service.

 

 

[Brother_Bliss]

The link is dead. Was the story removed or is it a typo? If it's gone, good thing you posted the article contents.

[rocket]

A similar news story is being carried by jwbrothers.org

 

http://www.news.jwbrothers.org/south-korean-men-refuse-military-service/

 

SUWON, South Korea (Reuters) – Sentencing a young man to 18 months in prison in July for refusing to do his mandatory military service, the judge in the South Korean city of Suwon burst into tears.

The judge had handed down verdicts that day in five other criminal cases without emotion, but the case of Im Chang-jo, a 21-year-old Jehovah’s Witness, brought out her sympathies.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, followers of a Christian denomination that claims about 8 million evangelical members worldwide, are well known for refusing military service and blood transfusions.

But Im, his brother, and hundreds like them have paid a heavy price for their beliefs in South Korea, a U.S. ally technically still at war with North Korea, its unpredictable relative with nuclear ambitions and one of the world’s largest armies.

“It is a privilege for me to abide by my conscience and I hope my country allows Jehovah’s Witnesses alternative service as soon as possible,” Im said in court.

Im joined 669 other Jehovah’s Witnesses now jailed in South Korea for refusing military service, according to a June report by the United Nations Human Rights Council. South Korea accounts for 93.5 percent of those imprisoned around the world for reasons of conscientious objection, it said.  .......More to story at above link or link below.........

 

Copyright Thomson Reuters, 2013.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/130828/jail-stigma-await-south-korean-men-who-refuse-military-service

[Cool Cat]

That's the one. Same link and web address except your one works lynn. Thanks!

[rocket]

That's the one. Same link and web address except your one works lynn. Thanks!

 

I think in the original story, it had the Judge "crying" and they replaced it with the words "sympathies." Or it may have just been in the headlines that I saw yesterday, I am not sure.