Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




NUKEWARS
US and S. Korea troops stage massive live-dire drill
by Staff Writers
Pocheon, South Korea (AFP) Aug 28, 2015


S. Korea's top court keeps conscientious objector in jail
Seoul (AFP) Aug 28, 2015 - Human rights activists voiced disappointment Friday after South Korea's Supreme Court turned down an appeal by a conscientious objector against a jail term for refusing to serve in the military.

More than 60 years after the end of the Korean War, nearly every able-bodied South Korean man between the age of 18 and 35 is required to complete around two years of military service.

The main rationale is the threat posed by North Korea, given that the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war.

Anyone refusing faces a prison term of up to three years.

In its ruling on Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld the 18-month sentence handed down to the appellant, a 21-year-old, identified only by his surname, Ahn.

"Objecting to one's duty in the name of conscience does not belong on the list of justifiable causes that exempt one from punishment," the court said.

Like the majority of other service "refuseniks" Ahn is a Jehovah's Witness and argued his case against serving on the grounds of religious conviction.

Some 12,000 South Korean Jehovah's Witnesses have been jailed as conscientious objectors over the past six decades.

"We were very disappointed by the latest ruling," said Kim Hee-jin, the director of Amnesty International Korea.

"Recently, there have been some favourable rulings by district courts, and we had taken those as a sign that the legal sands were shifting," Kim said.

This was the second time the issue has come before the Supreme Court, which issued a similar judgement back in 2004.

A separate appeal is currently pending before the Constitutional Court, which has twice ruled against the conscientious objection lobby, in 2004 and 2011.

The South Korean military relies heavily on conscription and military service often involves postings to front-line positions on the border with North Korea.

In May 2010, a North Korean submarine torpedoed the South Korean naval vessel Cheonan, killing 46 sailors including 16 who were on their military service.

In November the same year, the North shelled a South Korean border island, killing two marines -- both of them young conscripts.

South Korean and US troops staged their biggest-ever joint live-fire drill on Friday, including a simulated mechanised assault deep into North Korean territory, just days after the two Koreas ended a tense military standoff.

The exercise, conducted in several stages, envisaged an initial North Korean provocation, followed by an escalating clash, and culminating in a counter-attack across the border.

The drill was held near the border town of Pocheon, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of the demilitarised zone (DMZ), which splits the Korean peninsula between North and South.

"In terms of ammunition and personnel mobilised, this is the biggest live-fire exercise South Korean troops have ever staged independently or jointly with US troops," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP.

It involved some 3,000 US and South Korean soldiers, around 100 tanks and armoured vehicles, 120 heavy guns, 45 helicopters and more than 40 jet fighters.

It followed a recent surge in cross-border military tensions that had pushed both Koreas to the brink of an armed conflict, before a negotiated deal to de-escalate was reached on Tuesday.

The drill opened with a simulated North Korean attack on a South Korean guard post.

The defence ministry's original scenario had role-played an attack on South Korean loudspeakers blasting propaganda messages across the border, but it was revised after Tuesday's agreement saw the South switch the speakers off.

The second stage of the exercise played out a North Korean raid across the heavily fortified border.

The final element was a counter-attack and simulated advance by South Korean and US mechanised units deep into North Korean territory to destroy missile facilities, command posts and other key facilities near Pyongyang.

The drill was played out in front of 2,000 guests including President Park Geun-Hye and senior US and South Korean military officials.

There are close to 30,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








NUKEWARS
Kim Jong-Un credits nukes not talks for deal with S. Korea
Seoul (AFP) Aug 28, 2015
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said nuclear weapons - not negotiating skills - secured this week's "landmark" agreement with South Korea, as he dismissed a number of officials from a top military decision-making body. Chairing a meeting of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), Kim credited the North with striking the deal that ended a tense military standoff with the South, Pyon ... read more


NUKEWARS
Russia Gets Ready for New Moon Landing

ASU chosen to lead lunar CubeSat mission

Russia's moon landing plan hindered by financial distress

Research May Solve Lunar Fire Fountain Mystery

NUKEWARS
Nine Real NASA Technologies in 'The Martian'

Opportunity gives clay-mineral rocks get closer inspection

Mars Rover Moves Onward After 'Marias Pass' Studies

NASA can send your name to Mars

NUKEWARS
French woman wins disability grant for 'gadget allergy'

Chinese tourists unfazed by currency fall, market turmoil

Middle School Students Write Code for Space Station

Orion parachutes pass failure test

NUKEWARS
China's "sky eyes" help protect world heritage Angkor Wat

China's space exploration potential has US chasing its own tail

China to deploy space-air-ground sensors for environment protection

Chinese earth station is for exclusively scientific and civilian purposes

NUKEWARS
ISS Crew Redocks Soyuz Spacecraft

CALET docks on the International Space Station

Japan's cargo craft delivers supplies, whiskey to space station

Whiskey Delivered to Space Station - For Science Only

NUKEWARS
Countdown for Indian rocket GSLV launch to begin on August 26

Galileo satellites are "topped off" for Arianespace's upcoming Soyuz launch

ARSAT-2 arrives in French Guiana

Success for 2 long-time Arianespace customers: Eutelsat and Intelsat

NUKEWARS
A new model of gas giant planet formation

Planetary pebbles were building blocks for the largest planets

Solar System formation don't mean a thing without that spin

Gemini-discovered world is most like Jupiter

NUKEWARS
US Needs to Upgrade Old Radars to Detect Russian Missiles - Carter

Smallest 3-D Camera Offers Brain Surgery Innovation

Scientists from NTU Singapore find electrifying solution to sticky problem

Combined disciplines, computational programs determine atomic structure




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.