Page 19 - 2020 Defence White Paper

<Key Contents of the Alternative Service Act>

Classification Main Contents
Establishment of categories of Establishment of alternative service
military service
Service period 36 months
Fields of service Institutions prescribed by the Presidential Decree, such as correctional facilities
Service type Camp training
Eligibility Those who are subject to active duty, social service, and reserve forces
Head of the competent central administrative agency and Commissioner of MMA (granted
Service management
the right to investigate actual conditions)
Service in the field of correction until the 8th year after service expiration (within 30 days
Alternative service for reservist duty
per year)
Committee member Commissioner of MMA
Rank of the Chairperson Senior public official with a fixed term
Number of members / standing 29 persons / less than 5 persons
members
Organizations that recommend National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Ministry of Justice, MND, MMA, National
members Assembly, and Korean Bar Association
Professors, legal professionals, medical doctors, public officials, non-profit organization
Membership qualification
employees, etc.
Secretariat Establishment of secretariat to handle committee affairs

3. Implementation Status

To ensure a smooth implementation of the alternative service program, the alternative service screening
committee was organized and the statutes at the lower hierarchical levels such as the Enforcement
Decree of the Alternative Service Act were enacted or amended as of June 2020. On the other hand, to
ensure the independence of the alternative service screening, the screening committee consists of 29
members recommended by six organizations: National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Ministry of
Justice, MND, MMA, National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, and Korean Bar
Association. After hearing applicants’ opinions to determine whether the applicant hasn’t made any false
statements conducting fact-finding surveys through written, on-site, and face-to-face investigations,
eligibility for alternative service is screened and determined by the alternative service screening
committee based on their findings from a preliminary screening.
The alternative service assignment screening has been available for application since June 30, 2020,
and the review by the alternative service screening committee began on July 15 with 730 people being
assigned to alternate service by November. In 2020, a total of 106 people were assigned to alternative
service. They were trained at the alternative service training center for three weeks and were assigned to
the Daejeon Prison to carry out their alternate service.

Appendix