On Friday, the National Assembly passed a bill allowing conscientious objectors to do 36 months of alternative service, instead of joining the military.

The passage of the new law followed a landmark Constitutional ruling in 2018 that recognized the need for an alternative form of military service that does not involve the use of firearms or other weapons for those faith-based objectors.

Announcing the plan for the new program earlier, the ministry said it considered fairness vis-a-vis active duty service members and the prevention of exploitation of the new option to avoid conscription as among some key principles.

Meanwhile, monthly wages for rank-and-file soldiers will rise 33 percent on-year in 2020 in line with President Moon Jae-in's campaign promise to increase the salaries of conscripts to half the minimum wage by 2022. The salary of sergeants will be raised to 540,900 won ($466), it said. (Yonhap)