Page 18 - 2020 Defence White Paper

conducted status checks on the actual conditions of military service areas such as social welfare,
correctional, and firefighting facilities, public polls on topics such as service period, public hearings for
the public, and consultation with experts. 2)
As a result, on December 28, 2018, the MND announced its plan to introduce an alternative service
program stating that "those who are entitled to engage in alternative service will serve 36 months in
correctional facilities, and an alternative service review committee will be established under the MND".

2. Basis

On April 25, 2019, the MND submitted the alternative service legislation bill to the National Assembly
3)
after making a pre-announcement of the legislation twice from December 2018 to April 25, 2019. On
July 3 of the same year, the bill was introduced to the National Defense Committee of the National
Assembly; on September 19, the Committee led a public hearing on the alternative service bill. A
decision was made on November 13 that the MMA would establish an alternative service review
committee under the resolution of the Bill Review Subcommittee of the National Defense Committee.
Subsequently, the Act on the Assignment and Performance of the Alternative Service ("Alternative
Service Act") was promulgated on December 31 after being passed by a plenary session of the National
Assembly on December 27, entering into force on January 1, 2020.
The purpose of the Alternative Service Act is to achieve harmony between the constitutional freedom of
conscience and the constitutional duty of military service by establishing systems related to assignment,
screening and service in alternative service in lieu of active duty service, reserve service, or
supplementary service on grounds of freedom of conscience. Key contents of the Alternative Service Act
are as follows.

2) Factual survey on the service categories/fields of alternative service (July to August 2018), Advisory Committee on the
introduction of alternative service program (August to December 2018 on 6 occasions), meetings among the political
parties, government, and Cheong Wa Dae (September to November 2018), public hearings on the introduction of
alternative service program (First hearing: October 4, 2018 / Second hearing: December 13, 2018)
3) First : December 28, 2018 - February 7, 2019 / Second : April 9, 2019 - April 15, 2019

2020 Defense White Paper